


Children of the Gang

by Omness, yamarik



Series: Yakuza 13 and Their Family [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Fluff, Humor, Occasional angst, Sora and Vanitas twins, childfic, family fic, troublemakers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-06-05 05:43:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 91,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15163922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omness/pseuds/Omness, https://archiveofourown.org/users/yamarik/pseuds/yamarik
Summary: What happens when you've been adopted by a bunch of gangsters?





	1. Old MacDonald had a Farm: Age - 6

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings. If you just found this and thought it seemed like an interesting read, we the authors would like to recommend going back and reading part 1 of the series, entitled Two Little Monkeys, as it will help introduce the characters. It is not necessary, but you'll be missing out on gangsters trying to deal with babies if you skip it.  
> For those who have been reading since part 1, we're glad you decided to continue the series. Thank you for taking the time to read this fic.  
> To all, we hope you enjoy this au. Thank you.

“I want a puppy.” 

“Vexen’s allergic to dogs though. Let’s get a kitten.” 

“But Mar doesn’t like cats! How about a hamster?” 

“Hamsters are pets for girls. What about a guinea pig? Maybe then we can figure out why grandpa says we’re gonna grow up to be guinea pigs.” 

“Bo-ring. Can we ask for a rabbit?” 

“Rabbits are dumb! We should get something cool, like a snake!” 

Larxene was not happy to be awoken at five in the morning by shrill little-boy voices. What had those rotten kids gotten up to now? 

Larxene never had charitable thoughts about anyone at five in the morning. 

“Boys, what is so important that you have to be so noisy this early when little brats should still be in bed and the only sounds should be the godawful tweeting of stupid birds and your ungodly snoring and-!” Lexaeus’s huge hand covered Larxene’s mouth preventing her from going and farther. If left unchecked, she could build up a huge rant like that, and her rants often included objects becoming broken. Also, the boys looked plenty ashamed already. They had tears in their eyes and cowered in front of this morning’s parents. 

“She’s right you know,” Lexaeus told them. “But since we’re all up anyways, what’s the matter?” 

The boys exchanged a fearful glance, and then words bubbled out of their mouths. It was one of the rare moments the two were perfectly in sync, like one typically expected twins to be. 

“Canwegetapetpleasepleasepleeeeeaasssssseeeee? We’ll be really good and we’ll take good care of it and we’ll feed it and play with it and it won’t be any trouble at all plleeaasse?” 

Lexaeus removed his hand from Larxene’s mouth, grateful that she hadn’t bitten it. She did that sometimes, if she was in a particularly grouchy mood. Which of course meant he had to hold on all the tighter. After one particularly angry day, he’d learned to make sure he always used his non-dominant hand to cover her mouth, since he liked being able to write and eat and do other things normally. 

“Only if the others all say yes,” he told the twins, taking the easy route out. The twins hugged each other and high-fived, for in their minds they had already won. 

“And you have to figure out what kind of pet,” Larxene snapped. “With no more arguing before I’m awake!” 

* * *

The twins stared at the pet store, eyes wide. There were animals everywhere, and they could only take home one. Who would it be? 

“Okay boys, go choose your new friend,” Xion urged them. The boys didn’t need to be told twice. They’d been eagerly anticipating this day. They were going to bring home a brand new hamster. And they already knew what they would name him: Hammie. 

It was a tough choice. But they finally chose a dark brown one who was around the same color as their hair. They could pretend he was their other twin who got turned into a hamster. Poor Hammie. Someday they would find a way to turn him back into a human. Though then they wouldn’t have a pet anymore, and that would be sad. 

But there was also a really cute gerbil over there. They could name him Jerry, and he could be Hammie’s friend. 

“Mama, can we get Jerry, too? Please?” 

“Please please please please please?” 

And that was how they came home with a hamster and a gerbil. 

Sora and Vanitas were thrilled. Now if one of them was playing with Hammie, the other could play with Jerry. And they didn’t have to take turns feeding their pet, because they had two! As for the 13, they had mixed reactions. Roxas was very understanding. He was about the only one. Demyx and Axel both got very excited, and had to be warned not to hog the twins’ new friends. Most of the others were in varying degrees of being resigned to the new arrangement, but Marluxia had screamed rather daintily when he saw the new pets, and informed everyone that he hadn’t known the twins were getting a couple of rats. After that Xigbar had to be banned from handling the new pets since he was prone to sneaking them into Yakuza 13 meetings and startling Marluxia with them. In one particularly bad incident, he encouraged Jerry to climb onto Marluxia, who climbed onto the table and rolled around trying to escape. Jerry remained miraculously unhurt, but it was very disruptive. However Demyx’s video of the event became a hit when he submitted it to a TV channel. 

The problem came when the twins tried something similar. They both had thick mops of hair, and they decided to sneak their pets into school by hiding them in their hair. All went well for the first hour or so, but then Jerry got restless. Their teacher noticed Vanitas squirming a lot, and went to investigate. When she got Vanitas to take his hands away from his head, a gerbil popped out, causing a scene. Jerry was then safely herded into a shoebox, where he would spend the remainder of the day. Vanitas was given a timeout and a note to take home, sternly reminding his parents that pets were not allowed at school. During recess, Hammie escaped Sora’s hair, and caused chaos as all the children refused to go inside until he was found. Eventually, the teachers had to join, and Hammie was discovered napping underneath the tunnel slide on the playground. Hammie joined Jerry in the shoebox, and Sora got a timeout of his own. 

After that, the 13 decided that Hammie and Jerry had to go. Sora and Vanitas were inconsolable. Jerry and Hammie were too young to die! Finally, Roxas compromised and suggested that maybe their “cousins” could take better care of Jerry and Hammie. And when the twins went to visit, they could see their pets. Thus Ventus found himself the new owner of a hamster and a gerbil, who coincidentally enough, were both female. 

Given that the twins calmed down rather quickly after the loss of their pets, the 13 should have known something was up. However, it wasn’t until Xaldin caught the boys smuggling half their dinner to a kitten that they finally got wise. 

“His name is Meow,” the boys informed him. Xaldin went inside to take two aspirin and call the others to let them know about this new development. 

Meow might have lasted, except for his unbreakable habit of getting underfoot. He liked to sneak up on people and lie down right where they were going to step. Also, he was very resistant to efforts made to litterbox train him, and would urinate and poop wherever he wanted. Though this was in part due to the fact that none of the 13 were willing to sacrifice their time to train the kitten, and also efforts to train him were highly inconsistent. As such, Meow joined Jerry and Hammie in going to Eraqus’s house, and was successfully potty trained and became quite attached to Terra. 

It was Xemnas who got them the rabbit. He just wanted to shut them up. It had to go after it hissed, yes hissed, at Larxene. Next they tried out reptiles. The bearded dragon peed on Luxord, the snake bit Saix, the turtle got loose and ended up getting kicked halfway down the street by some local punks. All of these too were sent to the “cousins”. Ventus was their primary caretaker, and soon became quite popular for his menagerie. 

After they got some guppies who Sora and Vanitas overfed to death, it was decided that enough was enough. No more pets. Sora and Vanitas begged and pleaded, claiming that the next pet would be good, but their pleas were ignored. 

It was sad not having a pet. But there was one thing that Sora and Vanitas had that a lot of kids didn’t. They had a twin who they could play with, fight with, and do everything with. And they had more parents than anyone else. They would never be lonely, even if they didn’t have any furry or scaly friends.


	2. Here Comes the Bride: Age - 6

Roxas’s first thought when he woke up was that the twins were up to no good. It would explain why he was being tickled awake. But when he peered through the darkness to where their faces would be, he instead saw legs. Lots of legs. He followed the legs up, and- 

“Guys, what are you doing in my apartment?” he moaned. 

“It’s your wedding day! Congratulations!” Axel cried with far too much energy for… what time was it? 4AM? Whhyyyyyyyyyyy? 

“Not until a decent hour it’s not,” Roxas rasped in reply. 

“Face it Roxas, we’re not letting you go back to sleep,” Xigbar said sweetly. “And you really brought this on yourself by hiring caterers and decorators and whatnot. You should have known better than to exclude us like that. I mean, poor Vexen. A perfect opportunity to go all out, and you’re not even letting him cook at all? He didn’t stop crying for weeks.” 

“That’s not true!” Vexen protested. 

“And a wedding cake?” Xigbar continued, as if Vexen hadn’t uttered a word. “That’s like Lexaeus’s dream, right there, and you crushed it. You crushed him Roxas. Our own personal big guy, cuddly teddy bear that he is, and you were just so cruel to him.” 

“Er, really Xigbar, it’s not that big a deal. I would have liked to make his cake, but hiring professionals makes sense, so I got over it,” Lexaeus mumbled. 

“And just, all the ways you could have let us help you, but noooooo, you just had to abandon us. So now we’re getting revenge. We’re gonna help you get ready. When we’re through with you, Xion’s gonna enter the church to walk down the aisle and she’s just gonna jump you and ravish you right there.” 

“Er, Xigbar, the twins are going to be at the wedding. We do need to keep it G-rated,” Saix cautioned. 

“Okay fine. But she will run down the aisle because she won’t be able to wait to get hitched to our boy.” 

“I seriously doubt that,” Roxas deadpanned. “I can’t see why she would be so eager to get married to a zombie, and that’s what I’m going to be with you waking me up this early.” 

“But we had to!” Luxord insisted. “For reve- I mean, because the average nuptials take many hours of preparation. Right Zexion? Zexion?” 

Rather than a spewing of statistics, the only answer was soft breathing. 

“I’d put him down for training with Demyx, but frankly, I too am in agreement that we ought to be asleep,” Xemnas grumbled. “I do not see why we all need to be here either. Why couldn’t those of you who are so eager to help out have come on your own and left the rest of us alone?” 

“You said it boss!” Demyx agreed. “This is usually my bedtime, and now you’re going to keep me up all day.” 

“Okay, but we all agree that he ought to have included us in the wedding planning, right?” Xaldin asked, glaring everyone down. 

“Why? He was only ever supposed to be a temporary member of the gang. He’s probably going to leave soon, and then it will likely be quite the embarrassment to have had us play such a big role in his wedding,” Marluxia said. 

Several people gasped. 

“Blasphemy!” Axel said, appalled. 

“Axel, I don’t think you quite understand what blasphemy is,” Luxord said. 

“Ew, the robot’s rubbing off on you.” 

“He is not!” 

“So can I sleep now?” Roxas asked. 

“Since we’re already all here,” Xemnas said, “no.” 

Roxas groaned, and pulled the covers over his head, knowing even before they were yanked off the bed entirely that it was futile. He wondered if Xion was having to put up with anything like this. 

* * *

Xion did not have to put up with obscenely early wake-up calls. In fact, she even got to sleep in. That didn’t mean things were going smoothly though. 

“Larxene, stop pushing, I’m going to mess up!” Olette protested. 

“That’s entirely the point! Then you’ll have to wipe it off, and you can use the gold eyeliner pencil instead!” Larxene snapped back. 

“Why would I use the gold? The blue will look way better with this eye shadow.” 

“Well I already told you that using that eye shadow was a mistake, didn’t I?” 

“Please don’t poke me in the eye,” Xion begged. She was ignored. Just like how Larxene had been ignoring her wishes ever since the first time they met. 

Some people talked about Bridezilla. What Xion wanted to know was, was there a bridesmaid version of that? Because she had two. Though admittedly, they probably wouldn’t have been too bad if she’d just had only one of them as a bridesmaid. 

It had seemed a good idea at first. She was getting married, why not ask her best friend from college and her… not exactly coworker to be her bridesmaids? They both paid more attention to girly things than Xion or her older sister Mulan, who was to be the maid of honor, so why not get the two of them to team up and make the bridal half of the wedding party turn out pretty? 

Only then Olette and Larxene had met, and they had not teamed up. It seemed that although they both liked pretty things, they had conflicting definitions of what was pretty. Olette was big on floral designs and bright colors. Larxene’s tastes bordered on gothic and tended towards deeper and richer colors. Since day one, the two of them had argued over everything. Xion had thought having the two of them around would make the dress-shopping process easier, but instead they had drawn it out and made it far more tiresome than need be. 

Oh, maybe that was where Bridezilla came from. She had a pair of bickering bridesmaids who were about to blind her with a makeup kit. 

“Alright you two, that’s enough,” Mulan said, coming in and snatching the pencil out of Olette’s hand. Larxene made a dive to protect the makeup kit, but Mulan was faster. “I’ll take all this someplace safe until the actual makeup artist arrives, and you two can go get dressed. We only have two hours left after all, and neither of you has gotten dressed, done your hair, or put on your own makeup.” 

Olette and Larxene both screeched and fled from the room to get their dresses. 

“Thank you,” Xion said, looking up at her big sister tearfully. 

“You looked like you needed help,” Mulan said simply, handing over a wipe for Xion to clean off her face with. 

“Remind me again why I’m doing this,” Xion sighed. 

“Because you love that boy.” 

“Well duh. I didn’t mean why I’m marrying Roxas. I meant why am I doing this. The gown and the makeup and the hair and the church and just… all of it. Why couldn’t I have said ‘you know what? Let’s skip all the to-do and just go to court, get our certificate, say our vows, and be done with it.’ Why didn’t I say that?” 

“Because Roxas only wore a dress shirt for prom and you really want to see him in a tux? How should I know? But I think, deep down, you really fit in with those clowns Roxas works with. You have a flashy and dramatic side, even though you hate to admit it.” 

“Ugh, I want to say you’re wrong, but you’re probably right.” 

“I definitely am. I’m your big sister. I’ve known you since you were born. And even as a baby, you always timed your crying for the most effect.” 

“I did not!” 

“Oh really? What makes you so sure? Most people don’t remember things from when they were a baby.” 

“Mulaaaaaaaan.” 

“My point is, you want the whole shebang. The bickering bridesmaids is a bit of a minus, but aside from that, you really like this kind of a thing. And also Roxas hasn’t really had that many big celebrations like this in his life, and so you wanted to make this special for him. So relax. Don’t let the two harpies get to you. And remember that at the end of the day, you get to go home with that boy as his wife, connected forevermore.” 

“I do get to go home as his wife,” Xion agreed dreamily. It was a really happy thought for her. “But I really do wish those two would just get along. I don’t see why they can’t. It’s not that hard.” 

“For you, maybe,” Mulan said. “For them, it’s clearly a different story.” 

As if to prove her right, Larxene and Olette’s voices rose from down the hall. Xion sighed and put her head in her hands. It was going to be a long day. 

* * *

Roxas almost cried from gratitude when Eraqus came to his rescue an hour before the wedding. Rather than do anything to help him prepare for the wedding, his colleagues had spent the wee hours of the morning wreaking havoc. A couple had settled down to nap, but other than that, the rest of them had been up to their usual chaos. It was exactly like parenting the twins, only there were a few extra bodies to keep track of and they were all bigger than Roxas. It made him wonder if this was what it would be like when the twins hit their teen years. That was a scary thought. 

But then Eraqus showed up and whisked Roxas away to go get dressed for real, and he even gave the overgrown children a not-so-gentle reminder that someone would need to get the twins ready as well. The twins had gotten fitted for some little suits of their own, and the experience had left more than one of the parents scarred for life. As in, the twins had caused injuries that would scar. Because what would the Yakuza 13 be without their battle scars? A bullet wound here, a knife slice there, and an irate six-year-old there made for an interesting map of one’s skin. 

Getting ready with Eraqus and his kids was much more peaceful. Roxas wondered what it was that made his nephews and niece so well-behaved. They were so quiet, and they actually knew how to sit still. They also were actually helpful, with Terra and Aqua helping to track down Roxas’s cufflinks after he realized he’d dropped them somewhere, and Ventus pointing out the tag that was sticking out of Roxas’s trousers. 

Eraqus was quiet. Or rather, quieter than usual. He was always quiet, at least compared to Roxas’s usual company. And probably compared to normal people as well. Roxas was also quiet, since he really didn’t know how to deal with his brother-in-law. The two had never really managed to get past the awkward first impressions stage, and then Roxas had gone and joined the Yakuza 13, and then Hope had died, and at this point, Roxas figured that Eraqus probably saw him only as “just another one of Xemnas’s gangsters” albeit one who was more pleasant to deal with because he was actually sane. Or half-sane. Sane compared to the others? Whatever. Point was, Roxas was at least a little less crazy than the rest. 

“If spirits remain after one has died, I’m sure Hope must be kicking herself for not being here today,” Eraqus said, so softly Roxas almost missed it. 

“Nah, she always hated fancy stuff like this,” Roxas replied. “Even you guys had a small wedding.” 

“That was partly because we didn’t have very many people to invite. Your side of the family isn’t very close, and my side of the family is… complicated. And while I am at least on speaking terms with them, many dislike the fact that I am still in touch with Xemnas. Not to mention they are all still in Japan, and neither of us could take the time off work to go abroad for our wedding.” 

“Still, she wouldn’t like all this.” 

“I think she would though. I kept her away from Yakuza 13 interactions, but I do think she would have found everyone rather amusing. Not to mention she’d love the twins, and she always did like Xion, and in general she’d be so proud of who you’ve become.” 

“Even though who I’ve become is a gangster?” 

“I doubt your sister would see it that way.” There was a certain roughness to Eraqus’s voice that made Roxas look up, and he was alarmed to see tears on his brother-in-law’s face. 

“E-Eraqus? Are you okay?” Roxas asked. Pleaded more like. He didn’t know how to handle this kind of situation. It would have been one thing if it were someone from the gang, but his stoic brother-in-law? Nope. Not somewhere Roxas was willing to go. 

“Sorry. I just- I really wish she could be here.” Eraqus sniffed, and pulled out a tissue packet. As Eraqus blew his nose, Roxas noticed Eraqus’s pockets were suspiciously padded. Apparently the man was prepared for some emotional moments today. About fifty of them at least. “She would really be happy for you. She always wanted you to find companions who appreciated you.” 

“Er-” Roxas said awkwardly, then let sincerity take over. “I wish she could be here too. We always fought and fought, but she was the only one who ever came back for me. I never told her how much I appreciated that, but I really did. She’s the only member of my biological family who actually ended up being a part of my real family, and I wish she could be here so that when I’m getting nervous waiting at the altar, I could look out at her and she could roll her eyes at me and I’d know that even if we yell at each other a lot, she still has my back.” 

Roxas was crying a little too now. Eraqus handed over a tissue, and Roxas wiped at his eyes and blew his nose. Eraqus did the same, and then laid a hand on Roxas’s shoulder. 

“One thing I can say for certain is that Hope would not want us to make this occasion about her. It’s your day, and she would want you to enjoy it. So dry your eyes, Roxas. Everyone’s waiting.” 

* * *

What had started as “the bride’s side” and “the groom’s side” had quickly deteriorated. And it had all started with, of all things, a cage of crickets. 

It was Xion’s grandmother who had brought the cage, insisting it was a wedding present to bring luck to the newlyweds. She somehow smuggled it in under her dress, and was only caught when Xion’s mother, Li, heard the chirping and realized what it was. Apparently the old woman’s insect-smuggling ways were a repeat offense. 

But when Li tried to confiscate the cage of crickets, it just so happened that Sora spotted her, and of course the moment the words “Are those bugs?” left his mouth at top volume, Vanitas was dragging both Sora and Ventus over from “the groom’s side” to “ the bride’s side” to check it out. And of course this led to many people who were sitting on “the bride’s side” to start cooing over the boys in their little suits, and Xion’s grandmother once again was a catalyst in mixing things up as she produced a camera and started taking a million photos of the three boys. This prompted Xaldin, who was also something of an amateur photographer himself, to go over and get into an in-depth discussion of photography with the old woman. Meanwhile, Luxord and Zexion, who were the official parents of the day, went to go and try to round up their errant sons, and while they succeeded, Sora had already managed to charm Xion’s relatives, and more than a few trailed after the boys as they returned to “the groom’s side”. And things continued in such a fashion until the priest arrived and asked that everyone take a seat and they all just sat where they were at, regardless of whether it was “the bride’s side” or “the groom’s side”. 

When Roxas arrived at his spot at the front of the church, he still had the jitters. His groomsmen, his college friend Hayner and Xion’s little brother Pence, both stood behind him, telling him things like “Breathe, Roxas,” and “What’re you so nervous about, she likes you, idiot!” Next to him was his best man, Axel, who had his own sort of encouragement to offer. 

“I really don’t see why you’re so nervous. You have nothing to be nervous about. You look great,” Axel hissed. “Whereas with my hair like this, I look like my one cousin, which is just awkward, not to mention that someone might see me like this and notice how similar we look and realize we’re related and attack him. Do you know how not cool that would be? Not that I’m blaming you, buddy, just sayin’ that if anyone should be nervous here it’s me. Plus I have to give a speech at the reception, you know? Lucky me, I got it memorized.” 

“Guys, I get that you’re all trying to help, but will you _please_ shut up?” Roxas begged from the corner of his mouth. Before anyone could give offended replies, the music cued up. 

When Xion entered the church and began her trek down the aisle, Roxas had a terrified expression on his face. Oh no. Had he just realized he didn’t actually want this? Had he given up on her? 

Before Xion could really panic, Roxas’s eyes honed in on her and the terror vanished, replaced by a silly grin. Xion heard her grandmother’s camera snapping away, taking pictures of everything, and she vowed to get a photo of that smile on Roxas’s face, because even now after his life had gotten straightened out, his smiles were still on the rare side. She treasured each one, and a big one like that needed to be saved like the precious gem it was. It was hard not to run down the aisle after that. But Xion maintained her pace, following after her bridesmaids and trying to look demure. 

As she approached the altar, Xion had to admit to herself that Mulan had been right: she had wanted to see Roxas in a tux. And boy was she glad she did, because it was somehow both awkward and cute at the same time. 

At the altar, Roxas and Xion found themselves just staring into each others’ eyes, barely hearing the priest as he talked about the sacred union blah blah blah that got said at weddings. They each had two words that they were waiting to say. Finally, the time came, and they each took their turns saying those two words. 

“I do.” 

They left the church to lots of cheering and the blowing of bubbles, and headed off to the reception. Axel, as best man, gave a speech, as did Mulan as the maid of honor, and then Roxas and Xion had their first dance as a married couple. Neither of them wanted to end the dance when the song ended, but they did still have guests to entertain. 

The reception went on, both of them beginning to feel overwhelmed by all the well-wishing. But finally, it was time for the bouquet toss. 

“So who are you planning on chucking it at?” Roxas asked Xion out of the side of his mouth. 

“Mulan can dodge it, plus she’s already got all our aunts pestering her because I got married first despite being younger,” Xion replied. “So Olette.” 

A minute or so later, a blushing Olette was holding the bouquet and glancing sidelong at Hayner who was just as red as she was. Roxas had to give his wife a high five. 

Finally, finally it was all over. The youngest children were all fast asleep and had to be carried to the cars to be driven home. Crickets that had escaped the cage had to be chased down. And Roxas and Xion were allowed to go home, still reeling in the knowledge that they were now married and would be living together. 

That night, the two of them fell asleep in each others’ arms. They awoke the next morning with the knowledge that they had made the best decision of their lives. They would spend the rest of their days together.


	3. Single Dad Life: Age - 6

Neither of the two men were particularly happy about their drinking partner, but it was hard to find anyone else with the proper appreciation of good sake. Also, circumstances had been in favor of this situation. 

Xemnas looked over at his uncle and wondered if he should make a toast to Eraqus’s deceased wife. It was why he’d called his uncle and invited him over for a drink after all; today would have been Hope’s 37th birthday. Xemnas knew that this day hit his uncle hard every year. He wanted to say something, but at the same time, he didn’t want to upset Eraqus. Furthermore, he hadn’t known Hope particularly well. Back then, he’d kept his uncle at more of a distance, and had no interest in the family Eraqus was building. Now they were all quintessential to Xemnas’s gang. How the times had changed. 

Eraqus meanwhile, had more on his mind than another year of life Hope would never reach. Since a year after Hope’s death, he’d had several single women thrust at him by “concerned” mothers from the PTA and colleagues. And each of these dates just convinced him more and more that Hope had been one of a kind. He just wasn’t meant to find another love. 

The dates were awful. Some of the women were far too desperate. Other times they lacked any kind of maternal instinct. Some got disgusted if he mentioned not wanting to stay out too long because of his kids, and one woman had told him he’d have much better luck finding a wife if he put his “brats” up for adoption. He needed his kids a lot more than a wife. In fact, the latter was moot point without the former. He had long since given up on finding true love, but if he could find some woman who was at least halfway decent, he could settle down with her for the sake of his kids. They ought to have a mom. Someone who wasn’t busy with work and who could do all those things mothers were supposed to do. Right now, they only had him, and he had to pull double duty to meet their needs while still working. It was worth it, but it was exhausting. He wanted to do more for them. He felt like in trying to address all their needs, he did everything half-assedly, and it was a huge point of guilt for him. 

There were many things that both men would have liked to say, both in regards to Hope and to each other, yet neither of them spoke up. There was too much that had happened over the years. Besides, they were more comfortable in their silence. 

“Yeesh aren’t you two a couple of sad saps,” Xigbar said, interrupting the moment. “No wonder you guys are drinking. An atmosphere like this, what else can you do?” 

Surprisingly, Eraqus let out a small chuckle, making Xigbar wonder how much he’d already had. 

“I thought I told you I was not to be disturbed this evening,” Xemnas said, but there was no ire in his voice. He wouldn’t have minded staying with just his uncle and their mutual memories a bit longer, but he didn’t really mind the interruption, either. Now if it had been one of the others, like Demyx or Larxene or Vexen, then he may have been more annoyed, but Xigbar was always around, so it wasn’t particularly annoying when he popped up at odd times like this. 

“The twins have another field trip coming up, and Saix wanted you to approve of them going before he signed the form. Lame, I know, but you know how that guy is with paperwork. It has to be done properly, or else the world will end or something.” Xigbar laughed, then continued. “So anyways, little old me here, I happened to be passing by as Saix was having a conniption because you said you didn’t want to be disturbed and so I volunteered to talk it over with you. Of course, I think he assumed I meant I’d broach the subject tomorrow, but since no one ever specified, here I am.” 

Xemnas grunted. “Where are they going?” 

“Camping trip. Saix already examined the rosters and has calculated that if the twins are allowed to go, he and Axel are supposed to be parenting that night and can tag along as guards.” 

“I see,” Xemnas stared at his drink, pondering the idea. At last he looked over at Xigbar. “If it’s those two, I’m sure it’ll be alright. They’re… outdoorsy enough. And they can be trusted to be attentive. Though we ought to make sure we have some backup nearby, and a team to set up a perimeter.” 

Xigbar gave an ironic salute, causing Xemnas to grit his teeth. He’d been trying for over a decade to break his second of that habit, but to no avail. It was too deeply ingrained, and also it seemed to amuse Xigbar quite a bit. Sometimes Xemnas suspected the man was teasing him, but surely he wouldn’t dare. 

Eraqus let out a sigh, but it wasn’t one of his heavy sighs like the weight of the world was burdening him. 

“I really should get going,” he said. “Terk agreed to look after the kids for a while, but she has school tomorrow and I know Kerchak will be furious if I keep his daughter out too late on a school night.” 

“Need a ride?” Xigbar offered, even though he was already rummaging in Xemnas’s liquor cabinet for some bourbon for himself. 

“I only had a little,” Eraqus replied. Both Xigbar and Xemnas were about to make a comment, before they remembered it was Eraqus and that his “a little” really was “a little” and he was perfectly fine to drive. 

Xemnas offered to see his uncle off, but Eraqus waved him away. They said their goodbyes, and then Eraqus headed out the door, hearing Xigbar complaining as he went “But seriously, who sends a bunch of six-year-olds camping as a field trip?” 

In the car, Eraqus reflected some more. He wondered what Hope would think if she were still alive. Would she be happy to see him spending time with Xemnas? She hadn’t approved of the Yakuza 13, but she’d always seemed to think that they were a bunch of lonely souls who could all be redeemed or some such nonsense. And she seemed to think that Eraqus was the one who’d be able to do it. While Eraqus didn’t quite agree, as criminal activity sat well with the lot of them, he had to admit they did have better natures he hadn’t acknowledged before, but the ones who had brought that out were the twins, not him. He wished Hope could have met the twins. She would have liked them. Vanitas would certainly have raised her blood pressure and Sora would probably have given her migraines, but she would have liked them. 

Eraqus also wondered if Hope would forgive him. Every time he went on a date it felt like he was trying to replace her, or find some cheap substitute. Or there was the way he sometimes mistook his children for her- sometimes the looks on Terra and Aqua’s faces were so similar to their mother’s that he forgot it wasn’t her for a moment, and once when half asleep he’d thought Ventus with his blonde hair was his mom alive again. It was a painful experience every time, and he worried he might alienate his children by comparing them to their mom. And also, there were days where he didn’t think of her, didn’t miss her. They said that the thing about grief was that it went away over time, but it frightened Eraqus, that he’d lost someone so dear to him and yet now her memory was fading so easily. What if that meant he had never loved her after all? 

As Eraqus arrived home, these thoughts were still swirling around in his head. He headed into the kitchen where the light was on, and found Terk finishing some homework at the table. 

“I’m sorry, were the kids too much of a distraction?” he asked, concerned that his children might have kept their sitter from doing her homework. 

“Huhwhat?” Terk asked in confusion. “Oh, Mr. Eraqus. Hi. Sorry, what was that?” 

“Your homework. The kids didn’t keep you from it, did they?” 

“Oh, nah, not really. I was kinda avoiding it anyways. And they needed help with the cake.” 

“Cake?” 

“Yeah. They said they wanted to make you a cake. It seemed like a fun idea. Though the boys wouldn’t let Aqua help with the batter for some reason. She took it pretty well, if you ask me.” What Terk didn’t know was that Aqua was a horrible cook, a fact that their whole household recognized, even Ventus. 

Eraqus thanked Terk and paid her, then walked her across the street so she got home safely. She may have been easily mistaken for a boy, but it never hurt to be careful, and it did mean getting a bag of cookies from Kala for the kids. Kala even had a second bag with cookies for Sora and Vanitas. 

Back at home, Eraqus located the cake his children had made. It was no beauty- a very sloppy, haphazard mess. But there on the top in carefully written letters were the words “Happy Birthday Mommy.” Eraqus had to wipe away a tear. So his children had remembered. 

Eraqus went into the boys’ room. All three kids were in there, asleep, even though he knew they often begged their sitters to let them stay up until he got home. He watched his children, his dear, sweet, little angels, and that was when he knew. They didn’t need another mom. They’d had Hope. She hadn’t been perfect, often getting angry with them easily and needing him to intervene, but she had been a good mother. She’d loved them, and they all loved her, even years after her death. As did he.


	4. The Photo Album

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback to two years before the twins' arrival, when Xemnas is feeling nostalgic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: some mentions of bullying  
> This chapter contains some dialogue in Japanese. While there are a couple lines actually written in romaji, most Japanese dialogue will be written in English and denoted by italics for comprehension's sake.

Today was not a good day. It was Xemnas’s birthday. He’d been woken up by a call from his father. Xehanort never failed to miss his son’s birthday, if only because he knew calls from him made Xemnas miserable. 

As usual, Xemnas had gone into work and sat in his office. No one had come to wish him a happy birthday, as no one knew it was his birthday. It was business as usual, and Xemnas preferred it that way. Knowing his underlings, if they knew it was his birthday, they’d do something even crazier than normal, and he detested their zaniness. 

And now it was evening and Xemnas was at home, alone. Back in the day, it hadn’t been like this. Mom and dad- his grandfather and step-grandmother really- would always throw a party for his birthday, inviting his friends from school to come over and play and eat cake. How odd, that he’d actually had friends once. And Eraqus, who back then had been his _nii-san_ , or elder brother, would always wake him up early in the morning, almost more excited about his birthday than he was. They’d been so close back then. 

If he were a more emotional person, Xemnas might have been feeling nostalgic. But Xemnas wasn’t normal- at least, not anymore. So if he decided to go dig up that photo album that he had carefully placed at the bottom of a box that was carefully placed behind many other boxes of things he had no use for, it was not nostalgia. He simply thought that looking at photographs might be a good way to pass the time. 

The first photo was of a four-year-old Xemnas, six-year-old Eraqus, and the woman who had raised them both, all sitting together on the lower bunk of a bunk bed. They’d never been sure when the photo had been taken, though they did know what day. 

* * *

“Mama, Mama! Tell us the story about how you and Papa met!” Xemnas begged. 

“That one again?” the boys’ mother said in her ever-so-slightly accented English. Sometimes people mocked her careful syllables and the way she spoke, but to her sons, her English sounded the most beautiful of all. “Are you sure? Your brother must be sick of it.” 

“I’m not sick of it,” Eraqus said. Actually, he was. For the past two years, ever since Xemnas had moved in with them and officially became his “brother”, Eraqus had been hearing the story almost every night. He’d really rather something else, anything else really. He liked the story of the red _oni_ and the blue _oni_ , but right now he’d settle for Momotarou, or maybe a story about the gods, or even one of those fairy tales centered around some stupid princess. But he knew his little brother liked the story of how their parents met, and he felt that as the older brother, he should make sacrifices for his little brother at times. And he knew that Xemnas didn’t like the stories that he did, and he felt awful whenever his little brother cried. 

“Alright then,” their mother said, and Xemnas cheered. Eraqus couldn’t help but smile. 

“Well, it began when Papa moved to Japan.” 

“He had just split up with step-Mama, and he was moving for work, and-” 

“Xemnas, are you going to let me tell the story?” 

“ _Hai_ , Mama,” Xemnas said meekly, though their mom ruffled his hair to let him know he wasn’t in trouble. 

“Anyways, Papa had moved to Japan. My family worked with his company, and my brother invited him home for _Obon_. He and my father met and got along well, and then I came to tell them that dinner was ready.” 

“And what did Papa say?” Xemnas whispered, eyes wide. 

“I said ‘Nice to meet- oops, _sumimasen. Hajimemashite. Anata wa ii miteimasu desu_ ,’” their father said from the doorway. He was holding a camera. 

Both boys burst out laughing at their father’s mangled Japanese. 

“I was trying to say she was good looking!” their father protested. “I only knew business terms, so I didn’t know how to say beautiful!” 

“It’s just as well,” their mother said. “To pay such a compliment to someone you’ve only just met would have been strange. Even here it does not seem to happen.” 

“True, but I was a bit flabbergasted by your beauty. And your response only made things worse, because you dazzled me with your wits.” 

“It was not a particularly clever thing I said.” 

“What did you say? What did you say?!” Xemnas demanded, even though he knew the story like the back of his hand. 

“I said ‘Nice to meet you too. By the way, I do speak English.’” 

Once again, the boys howled with laughter. 

“And just like that I fell in love,” their father said. 

“I did not fall so fast, but your father was charming. And so after he returned to the city, we kept in touch. Letters and telegrams and sometimes he’d come visit, or I’d go to my brother’s and while I was there I’d visit him. And after two years, we were married.” 

Xemnas cheered again. 

“And now I do believe it is bedtime for two little boys, especially if Xemnas- _chan_ wants to be awake to see _nii-san_ off to school in the morning.” 

Obediently, the boys had gone to bed, though as usual Xemnas kept Eraqus awake a while longer, asking him questions about what he thought the wedding had been like and what they’d said in their letters until he himself drifted off to sleep, finally allowing his older brother to rest. 

* * *

Xemnas turned the page in his album and flinched. Here was their first summer in Japan. It had been a difficult summer for him, and he supposed it had been difficult too for Eraqus, in a way. 

* * *

Xemnas couldn’t find Eraqus. They’d promised to play together today, but his brother was nowhere to be found. 

“Eraqus- _kun_ ,” he heard a voice saying, and he raced towards it, almost forgetting to take off his shoes as he entered the house. “ _Ano ko, Xemnas, aitsu wa ningen ja nai. Aitsu wa akuma da yo_.” Xemnas stopped in his tracks, frozen. He wasn’t human, but a demon? Him? But that made no sense. 

“ _But_ -” he heard Eraqus’s voice. 

“ _You are not to play with him_ ,” the speaker said. 

“ _Yes, Oba-san_ ,” Eraqus’s voice said sadly. 

From that day on, Xemnas was always alone. Eraqus would always tell him “I’ll play with you some other time,” before joining the other children, but another time never came. Xemnas was lonely, but he pretended not to be, and instead played with the cats that lived in the area. Sometimes they scratched or bit him, and it hurt, but at least they didn’t call him names and only ran away from him some of the time. 

Then came the day by the river. Xemnas was alone, as usual, when a group of kids came by, playing some game or other. Eraqus was with them. Xemnas stayed still, hoping they wouldn’t notice him, since it was worse when they were mean to him and Eraqus just watched them. He didn’t understand what he had done wrong, but it hurt him that his brother would ignore him like that. 

“ _Hey look! It’s the demon!_ ” one of the kids yelled. He’d been spotted. Xemnas got up to leave, when a small rock whizzed past him. He looked over, and some of the other kids were picking up rocks. 

“ _Guys, don’t!_ ” Eraqus told them. 

“ _Why? He’s a demon. Stones won’t hurt him_.” Xemnas was frightened. They were wrong. Rocks did hurt him. They would hurt anyone, wouldn’t they? As the children pelted him with rocks, he curled into a ball, trying to protect himself. He was scared. 

“ _Ne, ne, let’s push him into the river!_ ” one of the children cried, and suddenly there were hands grabbing at him, trying to pull him upright. Xemnas’s heart fluttered wildly in his chest. 

“ _Stop it!_ ” Eraqus screamed, and Xemnas felt arms wrap around him. He looked up a little to see that Eraqus was now beside him, trying to shield him from the other kids. 

“ _If you push him into the river, he’ll die!_ ” Eraqus said. “ _He can’t swim!_ ” 

“ _Oi, Eraqus-kun, what do you think you’re doing?_ ” one of the kids asked. 

“ _Xemnas-chan is my little brother. I- I won’t let you hurt him!_ ” Eraqus cried back. Xemnas sniffled, unable to believe his ears. Had Eraqus just said he was going to protect him? At the beginning of the summer, that had been a given, but Eraqus ignored him these days, to the point where it was shocking that his brother would protect him. 

“ _Xemnas is a demon. My mom said so,_ ” one of the kids replied. 

“ _He’s not a demon! Demons can’t cry. And since he’s crying right now, that means he’s human!_ ” Eraqus replied. He took Xemnas’s hand. 

“Come on,” he said in English. “Let’s go find Mama.” Xemnas nodded and followed as Eraqus led him past the other kids and back to the house. Their mom was outraged when she saw the state Xemnas was in. After bandaging the places where the rocks had broken Xemnas’s skin, she went off to find the parents of the other children. She started with one of her sisters-in-law, the one who Xemnas had heard telling Eraqus not to play with him. 

“ _This is unacceptable!_ ” they heard their mom yelling. “ _How dare your children treat my son this way!_ ” 

“ _Your son? Don’t make me laugh_ ,” their aunt replied. “ _Just because you took him in and promised that whore you’d raise him and Eraqus-kun as brothers doesn’t make him your son. I pity your real son, having to live with that all the time_.” 

“ _Whether he is my son or my husband’s grandson makes no difference! Your children will not treat him this way!_ ” The arguing went on for a while after that, with some of the other aunts joining in, but their mom continued to hold her ground to defend Xemnas. 

Xemnas, meanwhile, was confused. Up until then, he hadn’t known that his parents weren’t his real parents, as he didn’t remember that he hadn’t always lived with the family he knew as his. That evening, he had asked his father about it, and found out the truth: that his father was his grandfather, that step-Mama was his grandmother, and that Xehanort- _nii-san_ was his father and Eraqus was really his uncle. And that everyone had known except him. 

Xemnas, however, didn’t have time to feel hurt, because from then on, Eraqus hardly left his side. He showed Eraqus all the cats, and told him what he’d named them all, and they played with them. Eraqus also taught him how to play with the kendama, a game he’d learned from the other children. It was strange to Xemnas, as he felt both closer and more distant to his brother than before. Eraqus wasn’t really his brother, and had ignored him, but now Eraqus was looking after him more caringly than ever. 

* * *

The next page was even more painful to look at. It had various photos that included Xehanort. Despite everything Xehanort had done, his father had still seen the best in him, even though the best in him simply didn’t exist. And young Xemnas had done the same. As a boy, Xemnas had been completely different from his current self. He’d been compassionate, kind, and very energetic. He’d been the kind of boy who wanted to do it all, but only if he could explore while doing it. He was going to travel the world and go to outer space and discover new animals and meet aliens. And he was gonna bring his real dad with him, to make up for all the time they’d spent apart. His grandfather/dad only encouraged these notions, always asking Xehanort to stay longer to be with Xemnas, to visit more to see Xemnas, and to consider taking Xemnas in. The last photo on this page was from the day he’d finally gone to live with his dad. The two of them were standing side by side in front of Xehanort’s car, which had Xemnas’s suitcase on top. Xemnas could still remember the way Eraqus had reacted to it all. 

* * *

Eraqus didn’t come out to say goodbye. He and Xemnas had gotten into a fight the night before. Xemnas was still mad at his brother for saying his dad was no good, and Eraqus was still mad at him for calling him a liar. Xemnas didn’t know why Eraqus didn’t like Xehanort, but they’d never really gotten along somehow. Eraqus could be like that sometimes, stubbornly disliking people. Like the way Eraqus didn’t like step-Mama- or Grandma as Xemnas supposed he’d be calling her now. If he was going to live with his real dad, he supposed he’d have to start calling people as they really were, so that dad would be Grandpa, and Xehanort- _nii-san_ would be dad and Eraqus- _nii-san_ would be Uncle. How weird it would be, to call someone who was only two years older than him Uncle. 

“One last picture before you go,” Dad- Grandpa- said. Xemnas smiled big as he stood next to his dad. He was 13 now, and in junior high. It had been eight years since he discovered the truth about his parentage, and now, after eight years of waiting, he could be with his real dad. 

The photo was snapped, and Xehanort got in the car. Xemnas walked around to get in the passenger seat, but when he looked back he saw the couple who had raised him standing in the driveway to say goodbye, and felt his heart ache. He quickly ran back and gave them hugs. 

“Thanks for everything,” he whispered. 

“It was our pleasure,” mom/step-grandma said. 

“We’ll miss you,” dad/grandpa said. 

“I’ll miss you too. Can you please tell _nii-san_ I said goodbye?” 

The parents exchanged a look, then nodded, and Xemnas headed back to the car. 

“Are you quite finished,” Xehanort said, sounding annoyed. 

“Oh, sorry!” Xemnas said. “I didn’t mean to make you wait!” 

“That’s quite alright,” Xehanort said, and the annoyance was gone. Xemnas must have imagined it. As they pulled out of the driveway, Xemnas took one last look at the parents waving from the driveway, and noticed in the window of his old room, a face stared out at him. If it weren’t for the distance, Xemnas might have thought there were tears in Eraqus’s eyes. 

During the drive there, Xehanort was friendly and chatty. He told Xemnas that he’d decided to homeschool him, since they ought to get to know each other well. Xemnas readily agreed, having no clue the sinister truth those words hid. He didn’t know that from the moment he entered the house they were going to, his life would be a living hell. He didn’t realize how he would spend a week crying out for Eraqus, who hadn’t once failed him since that first summer in Japan. He didn’t know how by the time he and his uncle next met, he would be completely numb, and unable to feel anything. 

* * *

There was one last photo in the album, one that Xemnas knew was there but could never bring himself to look at. It was on the very last page- a photo of him as a baby, with his real mother and her husband, the brother of Eraqus’s mother. He knew the husband of course. They’d met during the family’s regular summer visits to Japan. But his mother, she’d been kicked out after his true parentage was discovered, and banned from having any contact with the family. His adoptive mother had tried to keep in touch, but his real mother had declined, since she too was ashamed of having had an affair with Xehanort. Xemnas could vaguely remember what she looked like, in the haziness of his earliest memories, but he could not bear to look at her now, not in a picture that highlighted what might have been, if only her husband hadn’t been discovered to be impotent. 

The doorbell rang, and Xemnas closed the album in relief, glad to have a reasonable excuse to avoid the photo once again. He went to answer the door and found none other than Eraqus. 

“Your underlings asked me to give you this,” Eraqus said, and handed over a box of Japanese sweets. “ _Aitsura wa hontou ni mendokusei._ ” Xemnas agreed. His underlings could be very troublesome. 

“That’s… odd of them,” Xemnas said. He strongly discouraged any sucking up, and made it clear that he resented receiving things he did not request. 

“How is it odd? It is your birthday after all. They even asked me to attend a meeting to discuss how best to observe the occasion.” 

“Since when do they know my birthday?” 

“I have no idea. They probably looked into your medical records or something. You do work with a bunch of thieves and liars, after all.” 

Xemnas wasn’t convinced that Eraqus hadn’t been the one to tell them. 

“Er, would you like to come in?” he asked, uncertain. 

“No thank you. Hope had a rough day and I don’t think she’s in a state where she can handle the twins.” 

“Ah. Very good.” 

Eraqus turned to go. 

“Um, _Nii-san?_ ” Xemnas called after him, and nearly cursed himself for referring to his uncle as such after all this time. It had been nearly 20 years since he’d last used that term. 

“ _Nani?_ ” Eraqus asked, and his face was gentle. For a moment Xemnas was fifteen again, a freshman in high school. He was returning to the public school system after two years with his father. On his third day, Eraqus had tracked him down, looking happy to see him and asking why they hadn’t run into each other sooner. Xemnas hadn’t responded. For weeks Eraqus had come and found him like that, always giving him that same gentle look, hopeful that today would be better but accepting if he didn’t want to talk. But then Xemnas had told Eraqus to leave him alone, and Eraqus had. And the one last shard of light that remained in Xemnas’s heart had shattered, leaving him in utter darkness. 

“Xemnas?” Eraqus asked, and Xemnas realized long seconds had passed in silence, and that he still hadn’t given a reason for stopping Eraqus. Nor had he come up with one. 

“Nevermind,” he said, and turned back inside. Eraqus went back to his car. It was always like this with them, both wishing for the other to draw him back in but then pushing each other away at the same time. If only they could turn back time, and return to the days before Xehanort interfered. 

But time only ever moves forward, and neither of them knew how to accept the changes it had wrought in them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week Sora and Vanitas will be back with more childhood shenanigans.


	5. Santa Claus is Coming to Light Your Menorah: Age ~ 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To clarify: the beginning of this chapter takes place when the twins are three, but it finishes off when they are six.

“So let me get this straight. In the wintertime, angels come down from Heaven and eat lots of food and get really fat so that they can stay warm while they travel around giving people presents?” Vanitas asked. 

“Yes,” the parents all nodded. At this point, they’d agree with any interpretation the twins came up with. Sora seemed to have accepted their explanations, but Vanitas was more skeptical. 

“And they know who to give the presents to because they have trees growing in their houses or lots of candles lit?” 

More nodding. And lots of thoughts begging Vanitas to just let it be. 

“And then the angels give everyone new calendars and we can set off fireworks and drink sodapop and play “jinglebells” on kazoos and then the angels go and dance with snowmen?” 

As the parents nodded yet again, they realized this had really gotten out of hand. 

“Cool.” Inside, the parents all began celebrating. He’d actually gone along with it! 

“You forgot that you have to kiss people underneath the mistletoe or the Santa angels won’t come!” Sora piped up. Vanitas rolled his eyes, but looked around for some mistletoe just in case. What did mistletoe look like, anyways? And how many people did he have to kiss? It was fine if he only had to kiss Sora and Papa Roxas and Mama Xion and cousin Aqua, and maybe Pappy and Daddy Xigbar and Uncle Eraqus. And he supposed he could tolerate the rest of the parents as well, and even cousin Terra. But there was no way he could kiss cousin Ven. And what if you were supposed to kiss everyone you knew? It’d be weird to kiss anyone who wasn’t family. And what if he got pregernent from all that kissing? Hadn’t Padre Luxord said something about a baby? Was that what he’d meant? Vanitas didn’t want any babies. Ugh. Why couldn’t he just get presents for free? 

As Vanitas brooded, the parents sighed with relief and trickled out of the living room where they’d been explaining all this. At last that ordeal was over. Who would have thought things would get so complicated? It had all started because Sora had asked who Santa Claus was. So Roxas had sat him down and explained about Santa coming to deliver presents on Christmas Eve. But then the twins had mentioned Christmas around Luxord, who gave them a sermon about the birth of Jesus. But then Zexion had taken it into his head to give the twins other perspectives, and had explained Chanukah and Kwanzaa to the twins. And then Axel had showed them that snowman movie, and Xigbar had talked about his New Year’s plans in their presence, and finally, the twins had come to Xemnas for clarification. And so the twins had ended up getting this ridiculous mish-mash of holiday traditions. 

But the ordeal wasn’t over. It was only just beginning. For they interacted fairly regularly with their cousins, who had a very practical father who had explained the various traditions more clearly, and had taught his children that the holidays were all about giving and being kind. They did not believe in Santa or celebrate the birth of a savior or the miracle of Chanukah, but they gave presents all the same. So when the twins came along with their version of things, there was some friction between them. Aqua listened and understood that this was simply what the twins had been taught. Ven got very confused. And Terra… Terra had to set the record straight. Or at least, he had to try. He did eventually think better of it when the twins jumped him and tried to fight him over the matter. 

As time went on, things only got worse. Two years later, the twins were in school, and they still believed in ChristKwanzYear’sMidwinterkah and all its magic. So when they talked about it with other kids, things got a little bit messy. The first kid to tell them their version was wrong got punched in the face by Vanitas. The second kid did too. But when a whole group of kids all agreed their version was wrong and consistently held the same alternate version, Vanitas began to have his doubts. Being a resourceful little boy, he did some research and found that it was all a big lie. Yet despite all this, Sora still believed most adamantly in their holiday. 

* * *

Demyx was singing along to the radio as he made himself a sandwich. He was alone in the house, as Xaldin had fled claiming he had business to attend to. Demyx thought it odd that even on his parenting days, Xaldin was still so busy. But then Demyx was so used to singing along to music, and doing so badly on purpose, that he did so unconsciously. Demyx finished his preparations and put the bread and lunch meat away, and took his first bite, humming since he couldn’t sing with his mouth full. 

The phone rang. Demyx swallowed even though it was a bit early, and after a quick swig of water, answered the phone. 

“Helloo~” 

“Am I speaking to the parent of Sora and Vanitas?” 

“You are speaking to a parent of Sora and Vanny, yes.” 

“They got into a fight today.” 

“Aw, not again. Listen, since 'tis the season and all, can’t you just let this one slide? Please?” 

“Well that’s not my decision.” 

“Okay, who did they beat up?” 

“They got into a fight with each other.” 

“Wait, what? Sora and Van fought each other?” 

“Yes.” 

“But Vanitas never hits his brother.” 

“Indeed. Sora hit him.” 

“WHAT?!?” 

“Perhaps you should-” 

“Hold on, I’m on my way.” 

After scrawling a quick and illegible note to Xaldin in case he returned, Demyx headed off. When he arrived, he found Vanitas sitting outside the front office with his head tilted forward and a tissue to his nose. The secretary waved him into the main office, where Sora sat, sulking, accompanied by the principal. 

It took a while to discern the problem. Sora was in a stubborn mood, and refused to answer any questions posed to him. It took threats to get him to cooperate. 

“Sora, if you don’t tell us what happened, then you won’t get any desserts for a week.” Despite the fact that Demyx played upon people’s weaknesses with some frequency for work purposes, doing so to his own son felt dirty. It was a really low blow, and Demyx didn’t like it. He had to bite his lip to keep from taking it back right away. Sora sighed. With his eyes cast downwards as they were, it almost seemed like it was Vanitas sitting there, and not Sora. 

“Vanitas said something bad,” Sora muttered. 

“What was it that he said?” the principal asked. He wanted this resolved. His love of teaching had been sapped away, and even after getting promoted to principal, his salary was abysmally low. He was so done with this job, and with all the little troublemakers in this school. 

Sora glanced at Demyx, and sank lower in his chair until his head could barely be seen. 

“Sit up,” the principal commanded, and Sora did so with another sigh. 

“What did your brother say?” Demyx asked gently. 

“He said that the fat angels and the dancing snowmen and all aren’t real,” Sora said in a voice just barely above a whisper. He continued on at a regular volume, a faint whine creeping into his voice. “And I know that! But you guys told us about them so if we tell you they’re not real, you’ll get your feelings hurt and that would be mean and so Vanitas shouldn’t have said that!” 

Demyx found himself completely breathless. Had he heard that correctly? Sora, sweet pacifistic Sora, had actually beat up his brother, and all because he thought his parents all believed in the fiction they’d spun for their boys and didn’t want their feelings getting hurt? Wait til the others got a load of this. 

“Sora, thank you for considering our feelings, but you can’t hit your brother, any more than he can hit you.” 

After that, Demyx managed to smooth things over. Due to his experience as a pretty smooth talker, he even managed to get Sora off with only a visit to the counselor's office the next week. 

Demyx signed the two boys out for the afternoon, and took them home. Sora was sent to their room for a time-out, and Vexen was called over to tend to Vanitas. It was impressive how Sora, who tended to always get the worse of any fight he participated in, could do such damage with just a few hits. He must have been very angry indeed to hurt his brother so. 

When Xaldin returned from his business, he gave Sora a stern talking-to. Afterwards Sora tearfully apologized to Vanitas and swore to never hit him again, which Vanitas accepted with an eye roll at Sora’s theatrics and a hug because even if Sora was a pain in the butt, he did volunteer to take the blame for a lot of Vanitas’s misdoings, and so where was Vanitas going to find a better brother than that? 

The next weekend when the parents got together to take the twins sledding, they sat the twins down and explained that they understood that what they’d told the twins wasn’t real, but that the idea was to help them understand the various traditions. They then explained that while the traditions weren’t true either, they were all meant to promote a spirit of giving. There was one slightly awkward moment where Sora began to tear up because apparently he’d merely accepted the parents’ version as not real, and hadn’t realized Santa wasn’t real either. However, Vanitas managed to remedy the situation by explaining that “no, they meant that not ALL of them are true, which means that some are real and some aren’t, dummy.” While Vanitas had been helpful, he lost the chance to get the first sled ride for calling Sora a dummy. 

The boys continued to celebrate their hodge-podge holiday every year. After all, with such a diverse group as the Yakuza 13, they ought to recognize multiple holiday traditions. So the years marched on, with the holidays being a special time of giving. And if Sora left cookies out for Santa every year and every year the parents scuffled over who got to eat them only to find Vanitas had gotten to them first? Well, that was just the way things were in the Yakuza 13’s little family.


	6. Cannonball: Age - 7

“Guys guys guys!” Demyx exclaimed, bursting into the weekly meeting enthusiastically and as if he wasn’t late. 

“Demyx, you’re-” Xemnas snapped. 

“Oh yeah, sorry I’m late, big guy. Maaajor traffic, I’m telling you. There was an accident on the freeway, and it was like, woah. It was so bad. But anyways, I have an important announcement to make.” 

“Oh really?” Xigbar asked drily. He leaned forward, eager to hear whatever ridiculousness Demyx deemed to be “an important announcement”. 

“We, need, to have a beach day!” Demyx exclaimed. 

“And just why do we need to have a beach day?” Xemnas asked, his eyes narrowing. 

“Um, hm. Y’know, I had a good reason just a minute ago, but what was it? All I can think of right now is that maybe we’re characters in a fanfic or something, and that’s just ridiculous.” 

“Demyx, I thought I told you to lay off the hallucinatory agents,” Marluxia said. 

“Well, whatever. We can just go because it’s fun! We’ll take the twins, and have a picnic, and-” 

“Ah. Problem. The twins can’t swim. And even if all of us went, I’m sure they’d still manage to escape our attentions and end up out in the water and drown,” Xaldin said. He knew what would happen next. Demyx would stick his tongue out and call him a killjoy. Like always. 

“There! That’s it! Thank you!” Demyx cried, leaving Xaldin stunned. “We have to go to the beach because it’ll give us a reason to teach them how to swim!” 

“Or we could just teach them because it’s kind of an important life skill,” Larxene said, rolling her eyes. 

“Whatever. And as for your earlier comment, Xaldin, of course we’ll all go. Everyone loves the beach!” 

“I don’t,” Zexion said. 

“Well you’re a robot who doesn’t like anything. And you’re probably worried about getting sand in your gears.” 

“I don’t like it either,” Xigbar said. 

“What is wrong with you? I always thought you were cool!” 

“Long story. Let’s just say I had a job at a beach and it didn’t really go that well and to top it off there were sand fleas and I got sand in a good deal of places it should never go.” 

“Woah, TMI man.” 

“I mean, it took me a month to get all the grains out of Cassidy, and Anika never fired the same way after that.” 

“Oh geez, I thought you meant in your nether regions.” 

“Yes, there too, but that wasn’t nearly as devastating. Just annoying.” 

“You have some messed up priorities man.” 

“We can go to the beach, but I for one am not getting into the water. Clingy wet swim trunks are the worst,” Axel said. 

“I bet you’re just saying that because you can’t swim,” Demyx said. 

“I can swim!” 

“Then why don’t we have a race some time to prove it?” 

“Nuh-uh. Did you miss the part about clingy wet swim trunks?” 

“Then wear a speedo.” 

“Ew! No one wants to see Mr. Pasty-white Scrawny-pants in a speedo!” Larxene protested. 

“I second that. In fact. I vote we ban speedos in general,” Marluxia said. 

“Here, here!” Luxord agreed, surprising everyone. 

“Dare I even ask what a speedo is?” Xemnas asked the air. 

“Believe me, you don’t want to know,” Marluxia assured him. 

“I can confirm both that Axel can swim and that he is hydrophobic,” Saix said. 

“Well that’s good. It’d be kinda embarrassing to try and teach the twins how to swim when someone here can’t,” Demyx said. 

“Um,” Lexaeus said. 

“What?” 

“I um, have a confession to um, about swimming that is I…” 

“Oh you have got to be kidding me. You can’t swim?” 

“I can stand on the bottom, so…” 

“For the love of God.” 

“God doesn’t exist!” Luxord insisted. 

“Yeah we know.” 

Roxas raised a hand. Even after years of being a leader of the Yakuza 13, he still stood on ceremony in these weekly meetings and acted mildly terrified of his colleagues. Even the seconds tended to see him as timid. 

“What is it, Roxas?” Xemnas asked. 

“I… can’t… swim either,” Roxas said, his voice only just above a whisper. 

“Well why didn’t your parents ever-! Oh. Sorry man. I didn’t mean anything by it,” Demyx said. Over the years all the leaders had gleaned that Roxas hadn’t had a very happy family situation, and had spent a good many years in the foster care system before he finally got emancipated. They didn’t know details, but they did know that the topic was taboo, kind of like Luxord’s priesthood, Lexaeus’s wrestling career, and pretty much anything about Marluxia before he met Demyx. They all had their secrets and their things they didn’t want to talk about, so they all respected the touchy subjects for everyone else. 

“Eh, no big deal,” Axel said. “Saix’ll teach you, right?” 

“I don’t recall volunteering for this,” Saix said. 

“Dude, come on. Roxas wants to learn to swim. You can’t let him down,” Axel said. His tone was light, but the look in his eyes was steel. 

“And I can teach Lexy boy,” Larxene said with a wink. 

“That won’t be necessary,” Xaldin said. “I was his superior in the army, and that he doesn’t know how to swim is my failing, so I shall make it up to him now.” 

“What does having been in the army have anything to do with swimming?” Vexen asked. 

Xaldin caught Vexen’s gaze, then cut his eyes over to Larxene and back. Vexen got the message and nodded. Yes, better that Xaldin taught Lexaeus, rather than leave the poor man to that she-beast. Lexaeus shot Larxene an apologetic glance and shrugged. 

“Okay, so we’ll have swim lessons for Lexaeus and Roxas as well as the twins, but then we will have our beach day! Okay?” Demyx asked. 

“Whatever,” everyone said in unison. 

* * *

“The water’s too cold!” Vanitas protested, and Xaldin ground his teeth. He was sitting in the end of the kiddie pool, trying to convince Vanitas to lie back and relax, since floating ought to be the first step to this. 

“It’s not cold over here!” Sora called from where he was happily practicing kicking at the edge of the pool under the supervision of Marluxia and Vexen. 

“That’s because you keep peeing,” Marluxia said, and the reminder that he was sitting in water that had been peed in by countless children made Xaldin once again feel the urge to throttle Demyx. The man came up with this ridiculous idea, and he couldn’t even turn up for any of the lessons? His inconsideration knew no bounds. 

Over in the larger pool, Saix was helping Roxas use a kickboard, and Lexaeus was being sexually harassed by Larxene, who had managed to take over his “lessons” after all. Xaldin had to marvel at his friend’s patience. 

“Why do I hafta learn how to swim?” Vanitas whined. 

“Because it’s a useful life skill to have,” Vexen said. 

“And what if your friends want to play at the pool? You’d feel lonely sitting on the edge while they’re all having fun in the water,” Marluxia added. 

“I don’t need any friends, and I don’t want to play in the water. My swimsuit is really uncomfortable when it gets wet.” 

“Now there’s a kid after my own heart,” Axel called from where he was sitting. He hadn’t come within two yards of the water so far, instead preferring to sit with a cooler he’d brought because apparently it needed to be “guarded”. 

“Sora likes playing in the water,” Xaldin said. 

Vanitas looked over at his twin to confirm that Sora was indeed having fun and made a face. 

“Can’t you just say we’re not allowed to swim?” he pleaded. “Sora always follows the rules, so he won’t swim if you tell him it’s bad.” 

“Sorry Van, but if we’re gonna go to the beach then you have to learn,” Marluxia said. 

“Is the beach fun?” Vanitas asked. 

“Of course it’s fun!” Sora said, coming over and giving Vanitas a hug that was not at all appreciated as Sora was completely wet and Vanitas had managed to stay dry above his waist thus far. 

“How do you know?” Vanitas said, shoving Sora aside. Sora went down giggling, found his feet and went leaping out of the water, splashing Vanitas and taking him down in one move. 

“Hey, knock it off!” Xaldin scolded, and hauled them both upright and apart. 

“I know the beach is fun because everyone’s taking us, and they wouldn’t take us if it wasn’t fun!” 

“Sora would have fun at a funeral, I swear,” Marluxia muttered to Vexen, who nodded in agreement. The two of them may have preferred the company of others over each other, but they got along surprisingly well when put together. 

“I suppose if the beach is fun and everyone’s going then I’ll learn to swim,” Vanitas sighed. 

“Good boy. Now lie back and-” 

“Cannonbaaaaaalllll!” a voice yelled from the changing rooms, and a figure came flying out towards the larger pool. 

“Demyx, wait! That’s the shallow end!” Xion called, having just come out of the women’s changing room herself. 

“Oh who cares if he hits his butt because he jumped in where it’s only three feet?” Xigbar asked as he and the remaining leaders of the Yakuza 13 all joined Xion from the men’s side. Demyx hit the water and caused a large splash. Over in the kiddie pool, Vanitas watched with shining eyes. 

“Pop! Pop! Can I learn to do that?” he asked excitedly. 

“Sure Vanitas,” Xaldin sighed. “But only after you learn to swim from one side of the pool to the other.” 

“I didn’t realize we all had to be here for the boys’ lessons too,” Vexen said loud enough for the newcomers to hear. He had gone off to the larger pool and was crouched at the side, waiting for Demyx to surface to make sure he hadn’t injured anything. 

“Demyx insisted,” Xigbar said. “And don’t point out the ridiculousness of it, as some people are pretty sore about it.” There was no doubt about who he meant since Xemnas’s scowl was deeper than usual and Zexion was muttering about decreased productivity. 

“Good thing I brought enough ice cream for all of us,” Axel said. 

“That’s what’s in the cooler?” Marluxia asked incredulously. 

“And some drinks.” 

“Ice cream and drinks? Great! You rock Axel! And know that I don’t give that compliment to just anyone,” Demyx said, shaking his head and sending water droplets everywhere. 

“So why do we all have to be here?” Luxord asked. 

“Well, we reserved this pool for today so we might as well all be here,” Demyx said. 

“Seriously? That’s the reason?” Luxord asked. 

“That’s it. I’m leaving,” Xemnas said. 

“But you just got here!” Demyx protested. 

Meanwhile, Marluxia had told Sora they could try swimming in the big pool. Sora was learning to tread water quite well, and so Marluxia let go. As the argument between Demyx and the other newcomers grew in intensity, his attentions strayed from the boy, and so he didn’t notice when Sora paddled away. 

Sora had also been impressed by Demyx’s cannon bomb, and wanted to try it too. He doggedly made his way over to the ladder and climbed out while Xigbar and Luxord were trying to hold Xemnas back from attacking Demyx. As Xemnas started to break free, Xion came up and placed Xemnas in a choke- a bold move to be sure, but as Xion wasn’t officially a member of the Yakuza 13, she had a bit more freedom to do things like that which were otherwise serious offenses. Sora didn’t see any of it though, as his eyes were fixed on his destination, a board at the opposite end of the pool that extended out over the water. It looked like the perfect place for his upcoming stunt. 

Now Demyx was trying to block Zexion from leaving, and Vexen was trying to convince Xemnas to stop struggling against Xion’s hold before he hurt himself. Lexaeus was pulling himself out of the water in case additional intervention was needed, and Xigbar was making a bet with Luxord about the eventual outcomes. Meanwhile, Xaldin had hustled Vanitas out of the pool and wrapped him in a towel to try and prevent Vanitas from seeing the fight and to hopefully muffle the sound. Violence between Yakuza 13 members was all well and good, but not in front of the twins. 

Sora made it to the other end without tripping, which was miraculous considering that he was soaking wet, running at the side of a pool and also he was just prone to tripping in general. He climbed up onto the board. 

Xemnas was turning purple and Saix was joining Lexaeus so that they could pull Demyx and Zexion apart when a little voice broke through the confusion. 

“Cannonball!” Sora yelled, and jumped in. Sadly, he didn’t make much of a splash. 

“Sora!” Fourteen voices yelled. Xemnas, Xion, Xigbar, Luxord, Zexion, Vexen, and Demyx all went down as they tripped over each other, trying to get to their little boy. Marluxia and Larxene both began stroking towards the deep end. Roxas began wading towards the edge, trying to get out so he could run. Saix and Lexaeus both slipped on the wet ground. Xaldin might have made it over to Sora, but he was shoved aside by Axel who used the momentum to propel himself forward, flying down the edge of the pool and diving in, churning water as he made his way over to where Sora was… 

Sora was just breaking the surface when his Pappy reached him and hugged him close, grabbing him and dragging him back to the edge where he was deposited on dry land. Many hands reached for him and shoved towels at him, and Sora was very confused. 

“Oh my god.” 

“Sora.” 

“Are you okay?” 

“Sora!” 

“Is he breathing?” 

“Soooraaaaa.” 

“He’s breathing, right?” 

“Sora!” 

“How could you do that to us?” 

“Sora’s not gonna die is he?” 

“What’s going on?” Sora finally managed to ask. Instant silence met his question. The stillness was broken by various sighs and exclamations of relief. 

“Sora,” Xemnas said, taking the boy by the shoulders. “Don’t ever scare us like that again.” 

“What did I do?” Sora asked, tearing up. 

“Nothing, nothing,” Xion assured him, hugging him close to her. 

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Xaldin informed him. “We all know the one who messed up here is Demyx.” 

“What’d _I_ do?” Demyx asked. 

“Well gee, I wonder where Sora got the idea to try doing a cannon bomb,” Larxene snapped. 

“Sora, you need to be a good swimmer before you can go in the deep end like that,” Saix said. 

“Okay. I promise,” Sora sniffed. 

“I don’t think I want to learn to do that anymore,” Vanitas whispered from off on the side where he was standing with Roxas. Roxas couldn’t help but agree. 

* * *

“We’re the Yakuza 13, and we’re at the beach!” Demyx bellowed at the sea. 

“Yes Demyx, we know,” Marluxia said with a finger in his ear. 

“Not everyone here is Yakuza 13 you know,” Eraqus said as he and Xemnas spread a blanket over the sand. 

“Nor is the entirety of our gang here,” Xemnas added. 

“No but the thirteen leaders are, and we’re the thirteen from the name, so it counts,” Demyx insisted as he ran up with the umbrella. 

“Oy, careful with that! You might skewer one of the children!” Luxord called. 

“Dad, Terra won’t put on any sunscreen!” Aqua complained to Eraqus. 

“I don’t need it!” Terra snapped from where he was rubbing sunscreen on Ventus’s back. 

“Terra, if you don’t put on sunscreen everyone’s going to start calling you Xemnas Jr.,” Eraqus said, and after sighing and giving his sister a dirty look, Terra asked his brother for help with his sunscreen. 

“Papa, the water’s salty!” Sora complained to Roxas. Roxas didn’t hear him, as he was still staring out at the water. At various points in his life people had promised to take him to the beach, but something had always come up and prevented it. Now he was finally here. 

“Yup, the ocean tends to be like that,” Axel said, scooping Sora up. 

“Who wants to make a sand castle?” Demyx asked. 

“Not me. I’m gonna look for clams,” Vexen said. “I’ll bet there’s some farther down.” 

“I wonder if I can find any sea shells,” Xion said, taking Roxas’s hand and setting off down the beach. 

“Volleyball anyone?” Xaldin asked. 

“You’re on,” Lexaeus said, and since Larxene had already informed everyone that they had better not mess with her sunbathing, he snagged Zexion as a playing partner while Xaldin convinced Saix to join and Marluxia to referee. 

Meanwhile, Xigbar was getting covered in sand as he rolled around, laughing at Xemnas’s duck floatie, inflatable arm floats, and snorkel mask, and Axel was firing up the barbecue. It was no wonder Xigbar had had such a bad experience at the beach previously, if he rolled around like that. Ventus went to join Demyx in building the sand castle, while Terra teamed up with Sora and Vanitas to bury Luxord in the sand. As Eraqus had had to bring some work with him, Aqua was the only one to get in and swim, though once Roxas and Xion returned from looking for shells they joined her. 

They stayed at the beach until the sun set. They debated camping there overnight, but the weather forecast predicted that it would start raining in the morning and they all wanted to be home. The next day almost everyone woke up with sunburn. But all of them, even Xemnas, could say that they had had fun. And also that the twins could swim.


	7. Rolly: Age - 7

“Vanitas, will you stop kicking my seat already!” Larxene snapped. They’d been in the car for a little over five hours- and about one hour since the last rest stop- and it had not been a positive experience for any of them. Larxene was cranky, the twins were fussy, and even Lexaeus himself was losing his patience. Had they really traded parenting days to get a full weekend to go and take the twins to meet Lexaeus’s family? 

“But I gotta go potty!” Vanitas protested, and kicked the seat in front of him hard enough that Larxene bounced. 

“Listen you little-” 

“Guys, we’re almost there. Just five more minutes. Vanny, can’t you hold it that long?” Lexaeus asked, pleading. 

“Maybe,” Vanitas said sulkily. 

All of this had to be said at a shout, as Sora was in the seat behind Lexaeus, singing along with the tape he was listening to. Unfortunately, Sora wasn’t the greatest of singers, and having his headphones on only made him even more off key. As he hit one particularly bad miss, Vanitas covered his ears and glared at his twin. 

The car rolled on through the countryside, with nary a house or another car in sight. There were only cows and crops and lots of grass. Sometimes there was an occasional tree. The road was bumpy, but Lexaeus navigated to avoid the worst potholes expertly. He knew this area well. 

At last the driveway appeared, though it was still about a minute’s drive before they reached the house. As the twins stared out at the farm, Lexaeus pulled into a mowed area where a dozen or so other cars were parked. 

Freed at last, the twins bolted from the car. Vanitas threw himself down in the grass and rolled in it, then pushed himself onto his knees and threw back his arms and head, shouting “I’m alive!” Clearly he’d picked up some of Xemnas’s dramatics. Sora, meanwhile, was running for a fence, beyond which was a large pasture with horses at the other end. 

“Look Van, look!” he screeched. “Horsies! Father, Lady, can we ride the horsies, please please please?” 

“Oh great, next thing we know they’re going to start begging for pets again,” Larxene growled. 

“Just let them run it out,” Lexaeus said calmly. He looked to the house, and saw a tiny woman approaching. 

“Oh my word,” she gasped. “You finally brought the little dears!” 

Sora and Vanitas both turned to face the newcomer. 

“Boys, come here,” Lexaeus called. Sora skipped as he came over, excited to meet someone new. Vanitas was closer, but far more cautious as he slunk over, arriving after Sora and standing a little behind his twin so he wasn’t truly hiding, but didn’t have to face this new person. 

“Well hello there,” the woman said. She knelt in front of the twins. “You must be Sora,” she said. “Lexaeus said Vanitas was the shy one.” 

Sora nodded. “Yup! He doesn’t like anyone, though I really don’t see why since I think meeting new people is great. _He_ says it’s ‘cuz he likes being alone, but since we’re always doing everything together _I_ think he’s just sca-” 

Vanitas reached around his twin to cover his mouth. 

“Am not! I’m not scared of anything!” 

“Of course not,” the woman said with a smile. Sora shrugged Vanitas off. 

“You two are just as cute as Lexaeus said. Oh, and you really do have different colored eyes.” 

Vanitas scuffed a foot. People didn’t like his eyes. He liked them just fine, since they saw just as well as Sora’s did, and he liked how they looked, but other people found them scary. He also didn’t like how that was the way people told the two of them apart. He liked that there was something different about him and Sora, but it also made him sad since he and his twin were just two parts of one whole. 

“Let me see,” the woman continued, peering into Sora’s face. “Your eyes are just like the lake on a summer day, when it’s really reflective and you can see the sky in it.” She turned to Vanitas. Here it came. She’d be saying how his eyes were creepy. 

“And you, well, aren’t your eyes just like honey? So warm and sweet. You both have good hearts, I can tell.” 

Vanitas felt his face reddening. 

Throughout the conversation, Larxene had been stretching, but now she came over. 

“And you must be Lexaeus’s colleague, Larxene,” the woman said. 

“Nice to meet you,” Larxene said, sticking out a hand. The twins were surprised to see that the Lady seemed to mean it. Larxene disliked people even more than Vanitas. 

“I’m Perdita, though you can call me Perdy,” the woman said. “Thank you for taking care of our little Lexaeus for us.” 

“Mo-om,” Lexaeus protested, though he didn’t really mind. It was nice to come home and still be treated the same as always. Though it helped that his parents didn’t know what he really did for a living. Also, he didn’t mind being called “little” since it was better than his mom using his old nickname. Larxene wouldn’t make fun of him for it, but the twins might repeat it and depending on who else heard… He might never live it down. 

Perdy led them around the house to another mowed area that might be considered a yard. There were a lot of people there, some playing a game of flag football and others sitting at picnic tables. At the far end was a swing set where other kids were playing, and the boys’ eyes lit up when they saw it. They looked up at their “parents” pleadingly. 

“Vanitas, didn’t you need to use the bathroom?” Larxene asked. 

“Ummmmm…” Vanitas said, not looking at her. She could already see the telltale wet spot. 

“Oh great, He wet his pants again,” she sighed in an announcer’s voice. 

“Did not!” Vanitas protested. “It was Sora!” 

Sora had been staring longingly as he watched the other kids playing, but heard his name and snapped back to their little group. 

“Huh?” Vanitas gave him a look, and Sora realized what he needed to do. “Oh. Yeah. Yeah, it was me. I uh- I really needed to go too, and…” 

“And somehow you ended up peeing all over your brother and not on yourself?” Larxene asked sarcastically. Sora and Vanitas had yet to learn sarcasm though, and nodded. 

“I’ll go clean him up,” Lexaeus sighed. “Mom, could you introduce Sora and Larxene to everyone?” 

The next person Larxene was introduced to was a man only a little taller than Perdita who greeted her with a kiss. He was introduced as her husband, Pongo- Lexaeus’s father. As Larxene introduced herself, she couldn’t help but wonder how a giant like Lexaeus came from such short parents. 

Pongo graciously took Sora over to meet the other kids, and Perdy led Larxene around, introducing her to Lexaeus’s various siblings and their spouses. There ten of them- seven of whom were married- and they all seemed to have nicknames they went by: Jewel and Patch and Lucky and Penny and Freckles and Pepper and Fidget and Domino and Jolly and Dot. Larxene gave up on keeping track of who was who. And she wasn’t going to even ask about all the kids. 

Lexaeus and Vanitas returned. Vanitas hesitantly approached the other kids, since Sora was there and he’d rather be with his twin than the boring adults, but he was not very good at being social when it involved people other than his family. However Lexaeus’s family was full of the kind of people who bordered on being too friendly, and as soon as the other kids noticed who Sora was waving at, they swarmed Vanitas and dragged him into their game of mutant cowboy sparkly alien ninja athlete rockstar doctor superhero puppies. The adults watched this happen, and then “Domino”, the only other person anywhere near Lexaeus’s height, greeted Lexaeus with a call of “well there’s our little Rolly!” 

“Rolly?” Larxene said with a smirk. Lexaeus was bright red, and looking over at the twins to make sure they hadn’t heard. Luckily they were absorbed in their games. 

“Oh yes,” Perdy said. “Our Rolly was quite the chubby little boy. It was good that none of us were big on sweets since I had to stop making them. I could make a tray of cookies and they’d be gone before bedtime. But then he went ahead and learned to make them himself. After he got into wrestling and football he cut back on the sweets and lost a lot of weight, but he’ll always be our little Rolly.” 

Lexaeus quickly shoved a plate full of chili into Larxene’s hands and guided her to a seat. She found herself across from a woman she believed might have been “Dot”, though it was hard to be certain. Lexaeus and his parents joined them. 

“So, Larxene, how exactly did you and my brother meet?” probably-Dot asked. 

“Oh, we work together,” Lexaeus answered. “She’s a consultant from Mirage Arenas that my company Prided Lands sometimes hires for, uh, consulting.” 

Larxene was about to launch into an explanation of her phony job duties involving cybersecurity when Dot spoke up. 

“Oh, so you work for the Yakuza 13 too?” 

Larxene was wondering why Lexaeus had said his family didn’t know what he did for a living when she noticed he was very pale and didn’t seem to be breathing. 

“Oi, Lexaues,” she said, snapping her fingers in front of his face. When that didn’t work she reached down and pinched his behind. He flinched and shook himself, his breathing resuming. After taking several gulps of water, Lexaeus turned to stare at his parents. 

“You knew?” 

“Knew what?” Perdy asked, confused. 

“That I work for… uh… that I…” 

“Oh. That.” 

“Son,” Pongo said gently. “We’ve known for a while now. See Patch has got some friends who told her Prided Lands is owned by that group, plus we saw a newspaper article where that leader of yours was giving a statement and there was a picture and well, you’re kinda hard to miss.” 

“And you didn’t say anything? Aren’t you disappointed in me?” 

“Well a couple of your brothers were upset at first, but your sister’s husband Phoebus, you know he works in law enforcement, right? Well anyways, Phoebus said that you people actually help them a lot and so we figured you’re still doing good in the world.” 

“And it’s far more tasteful than that ridiculous wrestling career you had after you got out of the military,” Dot added. 

“We’re not disappointed,” Perdy said. “We love you.” 

It kinda hurt Larxene’s heart to see such a warm happy family. She hadn’t really realized they existed in real life. But then, there was a lot that existed in real life that she’d never noticed growing up- it was still no fairy tale, but life was better than it had once seemed. She supposed she had Lexaeus and the twins and all her peers at the Yakuza 13 to thank for that. 

“Wow, this chili is spicy,” Larxene said, wiping away a tear. “I’m going to go check on the boys.” 

“Is she alright? I didn’t say something did I?” Dot asked. She tended to be so busy seeing the world through rose colored glasses that she didn’t always notice if she was being insensitive. 

“Sis, you barely even said anything. And it wasn’t you. Larxene’s just a little bad with people, that’s all.” 

“Well she’s certainly in love with you,” a man said coming up. “Way to go, big bro!” 

“Mushu,” Lexaeus protested. 

“That’s Lucky to you bro. Everyone knows I am good luck.” 

“I thought we called you that because you have good luck,” Dot commented. 

“No, Dot. Because I AM good luck.” 

“He’s only saying that because he lost to some guy at the Black Dragon Casino the other day,” Pepper said. 

“I am not!” Mushu protested. 

“This guy… he didn’t happen to be a blonde womanizer with a slight accent who was constantly attributing his luck to God’s will did he?” Lexaeus found himself asking. 

“Why yes he was. Why?” 

“Erm, no reason,” Lexaeus said, shifting awkwardly. 

“Rooollllyyyyyyyy…” 

“I may work with him.” 

“Aw man, no wonder I lost. He musta been using weighted dice or something.” 

“Actually, Luxord never cheats. He doesn’t have to. He’s just ridiculously lucky. We’ve done everything we can to beat him. But even the kid who can count cards gets his butt kicked by that guy. So as long as you kept all your clothes, don’t feel too bad.” 

“What do my clothes have to do with anything?” 

“His favorite stakes involve stripping. He thinks it’s hilarious.” 

“Sounds like I got lucky after all. I left before he even cleaned out my wallet.” 

“Good choice.” 

Just then a fight broke out among the children. Larxene, despite saying she was going to check on the boys, was nowhere to be seen. She’d probably gone for a walk or something. 

Lexaeus waded through the concerned parents and plucked Sora out of the fringes of the fight, then moved in to pick up the perpetrator. 

“Vanny, I thought we’d talked about this,” Lexaeus said in his angry bear voice. Vanitas stopped trying to wriggle away to punch the other kid once more and almost looked apologetic. 

“It wasn’t his fault,” Sora piped up. “They said that… uh… that 'Kokoro no Oukoku' is dumb and I got really mad and… and…” Sora trailed off as Lexaeus held him up for scrutiny. It was typical Sora to try and take the fall for his brother, but by now all 14 of the parents knew better. 

“Van, what really happened? And don’t tell me that it’s what Sora said,” Lexaeus said, adding the second sentence as he saw Vanitas taking a rebellious breath. Vanitas exhaled and was silent, obviously trying to figure out if he could get away with a lie. 

“I bet him he couldn’t whistle and he bit me!” one of the kids from below called. 

“Really?” Lexaeus asked, looking down at him. 

“Well, I might have also called him a poop butt and a monkey shin and maybe even a road apple,” the kid warbled tremulously. Behind Lexaeus, Penny gasped, and told the child to get over to her, right now. The child slunk away, and the other kids also scattered to hide behind their parents. 

“Was that all?” Lexaeus asked the twins. 

“Umm…” Vanitas said. 

“Vanitas called said some mean stuff too. And I said they like eating boogers for breakfast too!” Sora cried, unable to bear the tension. 

“Boys, I think you have something to say.” Lexaeus put the twins down. Sora scurried over and gave a sincere apology to the other kids for his actual offenses, and for irrelevant things like being too happy and liking brussel sprouts- things Vanitas had probably convinced him were bad. Vanitas followed with a much shorter and rather backhanded apology for only giving them what they had coming. Larxene came back right around then, and shook her head as she took the twins over to eat their dinner. Vanitas did try to offer a better apology when he found out he’d lost dessert privileges, but Lexaeus put his foot down and so Vanitas spent the evening sulking. 

As Lexaeus went to bed that evening, he realized his parents were right. When his army pal Xaldin had come to him with a job proposition and it had turned out to be in a gang, Lexaeus had been dubious. Still, he’d needed the money, since stage wrestling hadn’t been paying out all that well. And he didn’t really like his wrestling career anyways, he just had a hard time finding and maintaining work. For his first few years with the Yakuza 13, he’d spent every day telling himself it was just temporary and that he was going to quit, but before he knew it, he’d been there years and was a division boss in charge of security and was well settled in and not likely to leave. But he had gotten what he wanted out of it, hadn’t he? He lived in much better conditions- better than he ever would have imagined for himself, he had friends he could trust with anything, he had two little boys he loved dearly, and then there was also Larxene; who if Mushu was right about, then maybe he could start calling her his girlfriend. Sure it wasn’t exactly going to get him a Nobel Peace Prize or anything like that, but he’d never really expected one of those. He wasn’t out to do anything fancy with his life. He just wanted to live happily, and these days, he did just that. 

The next morning the twins managed to make up with the other kids and play nicely for a few hours before they had to eat lunch, take one last trip to the bathroom, and then it was back in the car and on the road again. As they waved goodbye, Lexaeus dreaded the hours on the road that were ahead of them. And yet he also found himself looking forward to next time. Maybe by then he and Larxene would have discussed their relationship, and could come as an official couple rather than just “friends”.


	8. Grass-cutting- Age: 7

Marluxia straightened and tried to work the crick out of his neck. It was the one part of gardening he disliked. Above him, the cherry tree was in bloom, and around him his plants were relishing the freedom from the greenhouse they’d wintered in. A little fresh air certainly did them some good. 

It was not the garden he would have liked. Back at the estate he’d grown up on, there had been extensive gardens. Hedgerows in stunning patterns, seas of shrubberies, and endless flowers. Even thinking about it made his eyes grow misty. But that life was behind him now, and as he didn’t have time for a proper garden and didn’t trust anyone else to handle his plants, he’d just have to make do with window boxes and a couple rosebushes and his patch of poisonous plants. And the lavender he had because he liked the smell and it made a nice garnish for cooking. 

As Marluxia stood up, he couldn’t help but notice that the grass was getting long. It always seemed to grow twice as fast this time of year, as if to make up for the long winter months in which it remained buried. The snow could be deadly to his plants as well, but Marluxia almost wished it would stick around if it would keep this tangled snarl of weed in check. He’d have to mow the lawn. 

Marluxia went into his shed and prepared his lawn mower. He rolled it out, but as soon as he started it, the engine emitted a foul odor and died. When he tried again, it wouldn’t start. Clearly, he’d have to find another method of trimming his grass. 

He thought about asking the neighbors, but he wasn’t particularly social with them, and besides that one house let the grass get so long, he suspected they didn’t even own a mower. He could go out and buy a new mower, or one of those weed-whacker things, or even a push mower without an engine, but that would mean settling for lesser quality. He’d done that last time, and look at where he was now. No, he would order a new mower, and until it came in... 

In the shed, there was an old scythe. It had been a while since he’d used one, but he was confident he could cut the grass with it at least. He would manage. Yes, this could work. 

Marluxia got out the scythe and began swinging it in the motion he’d been taught, watching with satisfaction as the grass lost a couple of inches with every sweep. He found himself humming, enjoying the work, and almost didn’t notice the arrival of Luxord. 

“My god man, you are so tone deaf you almost sound worse than Demyx,” Luxord informed him by way of greeting. 

“As an atheist, you have no god,” Marluxia reminded him in reply. After all, reminding Luxord he’d declared himself an atheist was habit by now, even though he no longer displayed the comical reactions he’d had in the beginning. 

“Obviously, if such an affront to music as you are exists.” 

Marluxia made a mental note not to hum ever again. And to put something mild in Luxord’s food so that he got indigestion. Surely Xemnas couldn’t fault him for that. 

“What is it Luxord?” he asked, bypassing their banter and getting to the point. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Why are you here?” 

“Oh, right. Why I’m here. Of course you’d want to know that, how silly of me. Well, as it happens, some chaps at the casino took offense to my good luck and decided to express their displeasure with violence. Such classless individuals they are.” 

“Well, Luxord, why should I care? That’s just an average day for you.” 

“Well, Marluxia, it just so happens that those classless individuals were the casino staff, and there were enough of them that I couldn’t handle them on my own, nor could I call for backup, and this was the closest safe point.” 

“Please tell me they didn’t follow you.” 

“I am as opposed to lying as I am to violence.” 

“An ironic statement for someone who gets into fights on a regular basis.” 

“Yes, but I don’t start them. It’s all self defense, so it’s not a sin.” 

“Ignoring the fact that you have no reason to be concerned about sinning, you can hardly call it self defense when you use those bladed brass knuckles of yours.” 

“Well if I just used bare fists they’d get back up and attack me again, thus defying the point of hitting them in the first place and wasting lots of energy, which is the greatest sin of all in my opinion.” 

“Remind me to suggest Xemnas have you train with Roxas more often. In the meantime, you still haven’t told me whether or not they followed you.” 

“You didn’t ask. You said to tell you they didn’t follow me, which I can’t because I’d be lying, and by the way I think I see them now. Maybe you should start humming again- I think if you tried hard enough it could be lethal.” 

“Shame it wasn’t” Marluxia muttered, and assumed a fighting stance. After training with Xion some, he was somewhat used to using a staff, and automatically adjusted his grip on the scythe that was still in his hands in order to use it as a weapon. 

Luckily Luxord’s pursuers had only been lagging so far behind him because they had stopped to clear out the casino and lock the place up, and not because they’d had the foresight to grab some firearms. The fight was brief, in part because after the sixth man was taken down before even getting a chance to swing, the others backed off. As they ran away, however, Luxord called after them. 

“That’s right, run. You don’t mess with Marluxia the reaper!” 

“What on Earth are you saying?” Marluxia asked. 

“Oh, just a bit of publicity for you,” Luxord replied with a grin. 

“Whatever. Feel free to leave,” Marluxia said, and turned back to his work, being careful not to hum. 

* * *

Unfortunately, from then on, the image of “Marluxia the reaper” stuck. Marluxia suspected Luxord of doing some rumor-mongering. Manipulating the grapevine may have been Luxord’s job, but Maruxia did not appreciate it when he kept finding scythes at his chair in the meeting room, or when Demyx tried to convince him to pose for a photoshoot, wearing his Yakuza 13 coat and holding a ridiculous fake scythe that was more fashion than function. 

Marluxia refused to carry the scythe around, but that didn’t stop the rumors at all. Still, a small part of him had to admit he didn’t really mind. It rather suited him, and he was fond of spooky stories. But some people didn’t need encouragement, and many of his colleagues were among that sort. However, Halloween would be on one of his parenting days this year, and now he had the perfect costume to take the boys trick-or-treating.


	9. Social Status in Elementary School Life - Age: 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter contains themes of bullying and dealing with bullies.

Sora and Vanitas were starting at a new school again. This time Vanitas had gotten them kicked out after sneaking in some matches and lighting twigs on fire, pretending to smoke. Through the quick intervention of the gym teacher Vanitas was stopped before he set anything on fire accidentally, but the news got out and when Vexen and Marluxia came to pick the boys up, they were informed that Sora and Vanitas would no longer be welcome at Destiny Islands Elementary. 

As usual, Sora and Vanitas stood together at the front of their new classroom. At eight years old they were old enough to be independent, or so they said, but they liked being in the same class together, since they never lasted long at schools anyways. They had already been to nine, and they were only in third grade. None of their friends seemed to last when they switched schools, except for Ventus, and he was their sorta-cousin. 

As usual, they introduced themselves, pointing out their different eye colors just to be helpful. A few kids inched away when they saw Vanitas’s yellow irises. His eyes were freaky. Sora noticed and moved a little closer to his twin. Not that Vanitas would let it bother him. He enjoyed making other kids nervous a bit. It was only when adults freaked out that it upset him. Though he also found it to his advantage to let Sora stay close as he tended to do. 

As they were led to their seats in the back, there was one kid who caught the eyes of both twins. He had silver hair even though he was only in third grade, and eyes that were the same shade as a robin's egg. And he smelled like trouble. 

Later, when the class went to the library, he proved them right. A paper airplane hit the side of Vanitas’s head during quiet-reading time, and shortly after that, as the boy- Riku his name was- went to get a new book he passed by Sora, and pinched him sharply where the teacher couldn’t see. 

“Ow!” Sora exclaimed, instantly drawing the attention of everyone. The teacher didn’t even stop to listen for an explanation. She had friends among the teacher’s association, and more than a few of her friends had taught these two. One was a troublemaker, the other was the poster child for ADHD, and the parents… No wonder they couldn’t stay in one school for long. 

“S-Va-So- whichever one of you that was, you will have to stand by the wall during recess time. Five minutes.” Sora opened his mouth to complain, but Vanitas caught his eye. Vanitas had learned how to read people at a young age, and he could tell this teacher was against them. No amount of explanations would make a difference, because she would be deaf to anything they had to say for themselves. 

Sora seethed with anger at this injustice. It just wasn’t fair. He’d been pinched! 

Unfortunately, that was just the beginning. As it happened, not only was the teacher against the twins, but their tormentor, Riku, was her favorite student. Of the twins, Sora was his favorite target, since Vanitas had better self control. At times, Riku was quite merciless, bombarding the twins with paper balls made from the homework he snuck out of their backpacks, calling them names, tripping them, and pinching them. He also didn’t fail to miss their ever-alternating rides home, and made fun of them for this too. 

“He’s so juvenile!” Sora exclaimed. Juvenile was one of their words of the week. Zexion had decided a few years ago that they needed vocabulary lessons. 

“No, he’s just plain mean,” Vanitas said. Sora loved the big words they learned, and found every excuse to use them, but Vanitas preferred to keep things simple. Sora often told him he was “ever so succinct.” 

“We need to make him stop.” 

“Yeah, but we’ll get in trouble no matter what we do.” 

“That teacher should be fired. She gave me a zero on my last homework because it was all wrinkled. It wasn’t even my fault! He’s the one who crumpled it up.” 

“We could always try to get kicked out again.” 

“But Daddy-o was saying that it’s getting hard to find schools for us, and Ma was saying that our last school wanted to sue us. I don’t want to get sued.” 

“I think Uncle Eraqus helps people when they get sued, so we’ll be okay. But I think Xemnas will be mad, so I guess we shouldn’t. At least, not on purpose.” 

“So we gotta do something about him.” 

Vanitas nodded. 

“What are you boys talking about?” Axel asked, popping his head into their room. The twins jumped to their feet and babbled out an excuse about their archnemesis, the overlord Kriax. Axel smiled and left them to plot. As he left the room, his smile turned into a frown. He’d overheard the twins. He wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, but their teacher was definitely mistreating them, and there was something else. And he intended to use all of the Yakuza 13’s resources to find out what that something else was and if necessary, eliminate it. 

* * *

While Sora and Vanitas were the ones getting the short end of the stick, they actually had the advantage and they knew it. For one, there were their parents. The Yakuza 13 members would do anything for their boys, and would definitely take their side if they got in major trouble. Then there was the fact that they outnumbered Riku two to one. Riku had plenty of friends, but he typically approached the twins alone, since they never resisted him at all. And also, they knew what they were capable of, and Riku didn’t. 

Vanitas was considered the devious twin, but it was actually Sora who came up with the outline for their plan. It was Vanitas who figured out the details. First, they’d distract the teachers with a food fight. It was a good plan for avoiding trouble. When no one was looking, a good lob shot with an open pudding cup would splatter plenty of kids with pudding, and they’d be quick to throw back at whoever they believed to be at fault. They even knew just who to hit, as there was a kid who had no anger management whatsoever, and friends who followed his lead with anger. He and his cronies wouldn’t be satisfied until everyone had felt their wrath. Such a food fight would certainly keep the teachers busy. 

Lunch time came, and Vanitas made the throw. It could not have been more perfect- from timing to aim, it was just right. An artful shot that could not be beaten by a pro of any kind. As expected, the results were explosive. As food flew, Sora and Vanitas joined the crowd of kids fleeing the lunch room. Sora made sure to not-so-gently brush Riku on his way out, drawing the other boy’s attention away from the food fight and ensuring his interest would be in following his favorite victim. As Sora fled to the playground, Riku followed, not noticing he in turn was being followed by Vanitas. Riku cornered Sora under the jungle gym, a mean look in his eye. Vanitas’s look was a little meaner though. 

It was a rather ugly spectacle, but it went largely unseen. A couple of kids noticed while catching their breath after fleeing the cafeteria, but they quickly “forgot” because that was not something they could go against or do anything about. Better to not be involved. 

As it turned out, Riku had a green belt in karate. Sora and Vanitas had no formal martial arts training, but they had the entire upper echelons of a mob for parents, so had been taught about fighting. On their own they might have lost, but as it was, Riku got his butt kicked, both literally and figuratively. 

* * *

From the rooftop of a house owned by the Yakuza 13 that was near the school, Xigbar whistled. Their boys were really something. This was probably his proudest moment as a parent, possibly in his entire life. His comms unit picked the whistle up, and the other members who were participating in what was supposed to be an anti-bullying mission all flinched. 

“Xigbar!” Larxene snapped. 

“Oh, sorry guys. But I don’t think we need to worry about that bully kid we found out about. Our boys are doing a number on him right now. I wish you could see it.” 

The other members had all positioned themselves so they could rush in at a moment’s notice so as to put the fear of god in Riku’s heart. But there was no need for their intervention now. It was a bit disappointing but as long as the little rat learned his lesson… 

* * *

After the food fight fiasco was finally finished and all the kids rounded up, the teacher who had Sora, Vanitas, and Riku all in her class noticed that Riku was now sporting a black eye. However when she asked the boy about it, he hastily assured her that he’d merely been hit by a stray apple while escaping. 

Riku spent about a week avoiding the twins. He got bug-eyed whenever he saw them, and more than once he could be heard to squeak in terror. 

After a while, Riku finally worked up the courage to apologize. He chose to express his regrets to Sora, since Vanitas seemed just a little bit insane to him. After Sora forgave him effortlessly and dragged him off to make up with Vanitas as well, however, Riku began to wonder if they weren’t just different kinds of crazy, since no sane person would so readily befriend their former nemesis. 

Vanitas didn’t particularly care whether or not Riku became their new friend or remained scared witless of them, but when Sora asked to bring Riku home, their dads and moms most certainly did. In the end, they decided they shouldn’t interfere in the friendship, but they should make it clear to Riku that they knew what he’d done, and what would happen to him if it ever happened again. Riku spent the rest of the quarter begging his parents to move to Australia so he could get away. His request was declined. 

Sora and Vanitas actually finished out the year at that school. In fourth grade, Riku was relieved to find himself in a different class from the twins, until he realized it was lonely without them. And when they got kicked out after Sora pulled a misguided prank involving a mop and some balls and a water fountain, he cried as he asked if they could still stay friends. 

As they drove away from their sobbing frenemy, Vanitas and Sora exchanged a look. 

“What a weird guy,” Vanitas said. 

“Yeah, well I liked him,” Sora replied. Vanitas gazed out the window. Sora liked people too easily. Still, he’d kinda liked Riku too. He hoped they’d meet again someday.


	10. Homework: Age - 8

It was a beautiful September evening as Xaldin finished his run. After this he’d go in and get a cold glass of milk, and maybe get out his camera to take some pictures. He’d have to go digital though, as he was out of film. 

Xaldin had hardly gotten the refrigerator open when he was accosted by the twins. 

“Pop, can we go play outside until it gets dark? Please?” Sora and Vanitas asked. 

“Why didn’t you just ask Demyx?” Xaldin asked. 

“Because Daddy-o said he had a headache and didn’t want to hear so much as a peep out of us,” Vanitas said. Xaldin felt a sudden urge to turn on the stereo and crank up the volume on some rap, which was the only music Demyx didn’t like. 

“Hm, well do you two have any homework?” 

“Uh…” It was a very guilty sounding uh. 

“When is it due?” 

“Tomorrow,” Sora whispered immediately. Vanitas scowled at him, clearly displeased at the way his brother so easily cracked under pressure. Xaldin worried about Sora, since if he caved in so easily, he might get hurt, especially if he ended up in the family business someday. 

“Boys, you need to do your homework. Why are you putting this off? Did I forget to get something that was on your school supplies list?” Both boys shook their heads. 

“There’s kinda a teensy little problem,” Vanitas said. 

“Which would be what? And you better not say that you just don’t want to do it.” 

“We don’t know how to do it,” Sora whined. 

“If you just ask for help then-” 

“Yeah, because if we just ask you can make us have a more conventional family to put on our family tree assignment,” Vanitas snapped. 

Xaldin glared at Vanitas for being rude, but inside he was stunned. How on earth were these two boys supposed to explain a family tree with 14 parents? 

* * *

If the leaders of the Yakuza 13 were irritated about being brought together on a Monday night for a parenting emergency, the problem presented silenced all complaints. In fact, it silenced all commentary. The 13 leaders sat at a table with their boys, staring at the two blank pieces of white drawing paper that were in front of Sora and Vanitas. 

“Perhaps we could use the family tree of one of us,” Marluxia said, breaking the silence. It startled a few people, as they had gotten used to the silence, and also because Marluxia rarely ever spoke up, and also because Marluxia’s voice was rather incongruously coming from a grungy old hobo with a matted beard (albeit one who smelled rather freshly of cherry blossoms instead of the expected mix of body odor and exhaust fumes). 

“Oh sure. And whose family tree do you expect us to use?” Larxene asked. “Because while it’s not a bad suggestion, I doubt any of us are too close to our relatives. I know I’m not. I’m pretty sure my parents disowned me.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that. But I was thinking the obvious choice in such a situation would be our esteemed leader,” Marluxia replied. There was almost no sarcasm in the way he said “esteemed leader”. 

“Erm, I- I don’t think that’s a very good idea,” Xemnas said stiffly. “My family history is so very… unfortunate. And complicated.” 

“Perhaps Xigbar then? As our second in command, surely-” 

“Can it Marluxia,” Xigbar snapped with uncharacteristic vehemence. Possibly because he noticed the sarcasm that had evaded Xemnas’s radars. “No one died and made you the boss, so quit acting so big. ‘Sides, I don’t really know anything about my parents, and somehow, I’m really not sure I want to.” 

“Well, I’d offer to let them use my family tree,” Lexaeus said, “except it’s so large that we’d need butcher paper. Not to mention I can’t remember if I have 14 nephews and 18 nieces or 18 nephews and 14 nieces. And I think one of my sisters may have had another baby since I last talked to my mom…” 

“My god. That’s a lot of nieces and nephews,” Luxord whispered. 

“Not really. I have ten siblings. Three didn’t get married, but the other seven each have only two to eight children. That’s not that bad.” 

“Ten siblings? My god.” 

“Luxord, you’re an atheist. Cut the ‘my god’ poop,” Xaldin said. 

“Hey Axel, you’re a big family man too, aren’t you?” Demyx asked. 

“Woah, hold it right there buster. For their safety, I don’t exist. They don’t have a son named Axel, so they can’t have a couple of grandsons named Sora and Vanitas. No can do.” 

“Well what about Saix?” 

“Ha," Saix laughed bitterly. "They’re not the type of people you want to admit to being related to. Because if you do they’ll expect you to pay bail. And also it’s shameful to be related to such shameless people.” 

“Well it’s not like anyone will notice something like that on a homework assignment,” Lexaeus said. 

“Lexaeus, I’ve got some rather infamous crooks in my family. Trust me, if you use my family tree, the teacher will likely call the cops.” 

“I’m kinda the same,” Roxas said. “My family all hate me, so they’d be pissed if I included them on the same family tree as me, so you’d have me and my sister and that would be it, and somehow I get the feeling that the teacher will want a little bit more than that.” Sora and Vanitas nodded uncertainly. 

“Well don’t look at me because I used to be a priest so I’m not supposed to have children,” Luxord said firmly, crossing his arms. 

“You just don’t want to help the twins with their homework,” Larxene accused. 

“Nonsense. I may not help the twins with their homework, but that’s because my parenting partner always insists I am teaching them wrong.” 

“Well why not use Marluxia’s family tree since he had so many ideas on who else’s privacy we could invade,” Xigbar suggested. 

“Sorry, but since you mentioned privacy, you may have noticed I like mine. And I’d really rather you guys not know who exactly I am, if you don’t mind.” 

“I do mind. I’ve minded ever since you joined, pretty-boy,” Xigbar muttered. Xaldin nodded in agreement, and Marluxia shrugged. 

“Well I do apologize, but I would like to distance myself from my past. We all have our little secrets, after all. Besides, I change identities daily for work purposes, so my past shouldn’t matter.” 

“Well, speaking of secret origins, I’d have to tell you my birth name to use my family tree. Furthermore, my family is rather high profile, and additionally, they believe me to be dead,” Zexion said. 

“Why would they think that?” Axel asked in bewilderment. 

“Well I’m sure some of them rather wanted to. But also I disappeared without a word, and so shortly after my parent’s death that it would be easy to assume the worst, and since I have been missing and made no contact for over seven years, I am legally dead. Thus making it a little difficult for the twins to use my family tree, as it would attract quite a bit of attention if a presumed dead person is a single father with two children.” 

Axel was still staring, so Larxene stage-whispered “He’s still in his rebellious phase,” which prompted an small side argument between herself and Zexion. The rest of the parents ignored the bickering and returned to the problem at hand. 

“Hm. I suppose I could help out,” Vexen said. “It’s just that I was never close to my extended family. To get names and whatnot, I’d have to call someone in my family, and I’d really rather not. They’re all so dull and boring, and they just ramble on and on, prattling about nothing in particular. It’s so annoying.” 

Zexion who, had been in the middle of a retort to something Larxene had said, paused so he could sneer at Vexen, “So they’re just like you then.” He returned to what he was saying but was interrupted as Vexen jumped in to defend himself. 

Rolling his eyes, Demyx said, “Forget that. Use my family. There’s my dear mother Treble, my father Bass, and then all my many siblings; my sitar Arpeggio, by viola Symphonia, my banjo Earl, my-” 

Xaldin, who was more used to Demyx’s eccentricity than some of the others spoke up. 

“It hadn’t occurred to me that we could just use only one of us for their family tree. But they can use mine. There’s no criminals, they shouldn’t take offense to it, it’s not particularly large, so there shouldn’t be any problems.” 

“Okay,” the boys said happily and grabbed their pencils. 

“Wait, but what about our mom? Even if she’s dead, we have to put her, so who do we-” Vanitas asked. 

“You know what?” Xaldin interrupted, blushing profusely. “Nevermind.” 

“So we’ve officially eliminated all of us.” 

“Well what about Xion? We could use hers,” Luxord suggested desperately. 

“No,” Roxas said shaking his head. “She went with her family to visit relatives in China, so we can’t get her permission. And I don’t know her family well enough to be certain I’ll get it right.” 

“We’re the Yakuza 13, hang the rules!” Xigbar said. “The twins have to do their homework, so who cares if we don’t have Xion’s permission or if there’s inaccuracies.” 

Roxas glowered at him so ferociously that Xigbar actually gulped and shrank back. 

“Well now what?” Larxene asked, having gotten bored of the arguing. 

“Maybe they can just make it up?” Axel suggested weakly. 

“Well that’s what they’ll have to do, unless anybody has any better ideas,” Xemnas snapped. No one said anything. Larxene, Zexion, and Vexen even put their argument on hold. 

“Well then. Boys, you’ll need to come up with your family trees on your own,” Xemnas said. 

“Okay,” the twins replied. The parents slowly got up to get down to whatever business they had as the boys pondered what to do. Sora chewed on his pencil as he thought about what to write, periodically taking it out of his mouth to scribble something on his paper, creating a chaotic mess. Vanitas meanwhile, got up to fetch a ruler, and began drawing slow and careful lines. By the end of the night, they had both complete family trees that were ready to be turned in. 

* * *

Two days later, Roxas was called to the school. Like all the parents, he had gotten rather skilled at finding the principal’s office in any elementary school. It was a necessary skill with Sora and Vanitas. 

Roxas entered the office to find a rather bemused principal and an irate teacher. 

“Is this some kind of joke?” the teacher snarled, holding up two sheets of paper. 

“Sit down Ms. Tremaine,” the principal said. The teacher didn’t sit, but she did shut up. 

“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand what the problem is,” Roxas said. 

The teacher turned a nasty shade of red reminiscent of a beet, but the principal spoke up first. 

“Sora and Vanitas were asked to complete family trees as part of an assignment, and what they turned in was rather… questionable,” the principal said quickly. 

“Pirates and ninjas and dragons and 14 parents!” the teacher shrieked, unable to contain herself. 

“Oh dear,” Roxas sighed. He held out a hand and the teacher nearly threw the papers at him. On one was a sprawl of a family tree which indeed had pirates and ninjas and dragons listed, as well as Space Rangers and cowboys and a few characters from some of Sora’s favorite movies and TV shows. The other paper was quite tidy, and had… Oh no. It had their actual family tree on it. It had all 14 parents, and even managed to quite neatly include the complicated relationship with Eraqus’s family. 

“Look, I’m sorry the boys did this. It’s just that they’re adopted. It was a closed adoption, and so they probably didn’t want to try and put that on paper, so they bent the truth like this instead. I’m really sorry. I’ll get them to redo it.” 

“See that you do. And it better be done properly!” Ms. Tremaine yowled. 

“Thank you for your cooperation,” the principal said. Roxas noticed a calendar behind the principal that had a countdown to the retirement of “the witch”. 

And so on Friday Ms. Tremaine received two copies of Xion’s family tree and an apology note. Xion, meanwhile, was busy telling her Chinese relatives all about the boys and explaining the very panicked long distance phone call she’d received from her husband. They all got a laugh out of it.


	11. The Key to his Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback to two years before the twins' arrival, when Roxas was still just an ordinary problem child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This _should_ be the last flashback, meaning everything _should_ have a strictly linear timeline from this point on.  
>  Warnings: Bullies, also some racial slurs directed towards people of Asian descent and other derogatory terms. Sorry. Oh, and small children mixed with some of the more unpleasant bodily functions.

These jerks were really getting to be a problem. Roxas could handle it if they extorted his lunch money from him- one of his guardians had been a bit senile and had often forgotten to feed her ward, and another couple had been bad at estimating the amount of food needed to feed themselves and all five of their foster kids, so everyone tended to go a little hungry in that house as well. And Roxas could take it when he got blamed for the wrongdoings of others, thanks to some of the nightmare foster siblings he’d had over the years. He was used to no one listening to him. But now these guys had stolen his backpack, and since that was where he contained the few things that mattered most to him, that was going too far. 

Roxas found them in the parking lot behind the school, the one where they kept the dumpsters. They were taking things out of his backpack, one at a time, and ripping them apart or throwing them around carelessly. He could already see the lucky popsicle stick lying broken on the ground, and his round blue stone was being stomped on by one of them. The leader saw him coming and waved, and Roxas noticed the key in his hands. 

Roxas knew getting angry didn’t solve his problems. He tried to avoid it. But no matter how many times he counted to ten or took deep breaths or any of that crap the counselors told him to do, things still got to him. He was getting better at keeping the anger less physical these days, but there were times where that failed him. He’d been furious when they took his backpack. But the plan had been to just go in, pick up his stuff and leave without showing how much he wanted to hurt them. That was until he saw that key. 

Roxas had often thought of throwing that key away, but he never could. It was the key to the house they’d all lived in, once upon a time. He wasn’t even sure how he’d gotten it, just that it had been his for as long as he could remember. He hated it, since he hated the family they had pretended to be back then. Even as a little boy he’d been able to tell they were broken beyond repair. But at the same time, he wanted to hold onto it, because as bad as it had been with the fighting and shouting, at least he’d been in a steady home. At least he hadn’t wondered when they’d get rid of him. At least no one ever put his stuff in a trash bag to take with him to the next home. At least his sister had sometimes been on his side, when she wasn’t screeching at his parents because she was sick of their screeching. Other foster kids might seem like they were on his side, but they inevitably stabbed him in the back or got moved somewhere else, so these days he was alone. He was better off this way. Everyone else could go screw themselves. 

“What’s this, did you steal it?” the bully taunted, brandishing the key. He was smirking, and kept smirking right up until Roxas rammed into the bully with as much force as his 108 pounds could manage. 

Roxas had the advantage of hitting first, the advantage of surprising his enemy, and the advantage of speed. But it was a doomed fight and he knew it. There were four of them versus only one of him, and they had spent years finessing the art of beating loners like him into a pulp. They were all bigger than him, and more muscular. And they had his stuff hostage. Even if he ran right now, he’d already lost the moment they’d gotten his backpack. 

It wasn’t long before two of them had gotten hold of his arms. He kicked out, but one of the guys who had his arms had also grabbed his hair and was pulling back, limiting his vision and making it nearly impossible to aim. 

“Hey, let’s strip ‘im. He can go to class in his underwear!” one of the bullies said. 

“But then we can’t pulverise him,” another protested. 

“Nah, everyone’ll just think he got it somewhere else. They all know no one wants him.” 

Roxas looked past the sneering faces that loomed above him to the sky beyond, trying not to cry. His tears didn’t come out of hopelessness or humiliation, but out of rage. He wanted to hurt these guys, beat them up the way they beat him, humiliate them the way they humiliated others, destroy them internally the way they did when they destroyed his treasures. He wanted them to be the ones to suffer. But the world wasn’t fair, and it was only against him. Where it had given him a family that didn’t give a damn about him and stuck him in the foster system where things were about as bad as they could get without him being homeless, it had given these guys money and power so that they could demand whatever they wanted on a silver platter, and get more than what they asked for too. 

“Hey! I heard you guys were calling me a dyke!” a girl’s voice shouted. 

“Well look who it is. It’s the chink,” one of the bullies said. Roxas tried to kick at the speaker, but missed again. 

“Why don’t you say that to my face!” the girl responded. 

Roxas heard footsteps, but the grips on his arms and hair didn’t change. When he tried to struggle, his arms were twisted painfully, and his head was pulled on so hard he thought that his scalp would come off or his neck would snap. He grit his teeth so he wouldn’t yell in pain. 

He heard yells, and he was released suddenly. As he fell forward, he glanced over and saw the two bullies who had been holding him racing towards a short girl with black hair. Near her, one of the others was doubled over, and the final bully was howling in pain as she held his arm at a strange angle. 

Roxas didn’t bother to watch any more of the fight. If the girl got hurt, she deserved it for picking a fight with them. She should just learn to take an insult. Instead, Roxas focused on gathering the remains of his things. There was his chemistry homework- he’d need to tape that back together and hope that his teacher accepted it in it’s rumpled and dirtied condition. And over here was his art homework, completely ruined. Not that it was going to get a good grade anyways. And over here… 

Time seemed to stand still to Roxas. He had completely forgotten he had this. It was a photo of his family. The bullies had torn it in two, managing to separate into the exact halves that the family had become- him with his mom, and his sister with his dad. His hands shaking, Roxas picked up the two pieces and stared at them. 

While time had stood still for Roxas, it hadn’t for everyone else. The fight was moving closer to him, until one of the bullies went staggering backwards and slipped on the blue stone, causing him to fall and land on Roxas, his elbow getting Roxas in the face. 

Roxas wriggled out from under the bully, shoved the pieces of the photo in the backpack, and snatched up the rock and his broken popsicle stick. The key was nowhere in sight, so he’d just have to leave it. He was scrambling for the door when it flew open and the vice principal/ gym teacher came rushing out, blowing on his whistle. 

“Alright, break it up!” he yelled. 

The bullies made a break for it, running around the side of the building. Roxas stood still, staring at the ground. Making eye contact never did any good. Luckily, the vice principal was more interested in those fleeing the scene, and chased after them. 

“Here,” someone said, and handed him a few papers he’d missed. He snatched them away, not saying anything. 

“Sorry about your eye,” the girl said. “We should go get some ice for it before it swells up too much.” 

Roxas ignored her and walked away. He was fine on his own. 

* * *

Xion’s spirits were at an all-time low. It wasn’t the first time they’d moved- they’d left China when she was five- but it was a lot harder for her to leave behind her friends. Many of them had been around her since she was little, and all of them were immigrants like her. No one had called her “chink” or “gook” or any other racial slurs back in her old town. 

Here, the city wasn’t so kind. There were a lot less Chinese people like her, and they were generally treated like some kind of joke. She had been here a mere two weeks, and was already sick of people dragging at the corners of their eyes to try and mimic her family, making fun of her parents’ accents, and accusing her family of eating babies. Why would they eat babies? This wasn’t that satire piece they’d had to read in her English class at her old school. She would never eat a baby, or a dog or cat! 

Xion had thought this place would only ever be miserable when she’d sat down in history one day. She had been staring at the clock and sighed, and heard someone else do the same. She’d looked over to see a guy staring out the window. He looked like he was about to fly away if someone didn’t hold him down. But that notion was ludicrous, so Xion dismissed it. It was pretty clear the guy didn’t want to talk to anyone, so it was better to leave him be. 

But that very same day after school, Xion had looked up to see the same boy from her history class jumping from one rooftop to another. He’d been so graceful in motion, he really did seem like he was flying. She’d been awed. Still, he was unfriendly, so she wouldn’t bother him. 

Xion wanted to get to know this place. In her old town, she knew everyone within an eight-block radius of her home. Even beyond that, she could still find people to talk to if she wanted. In the hopes of achieving the same thing here, she was trying to explore. Despite the fact that she’d had to fend off three attempted muggings so far, she wasn’t going to give up. And that was where the guy from her history class began to pop up everywhere. He was in a dingy alley with some other guys, dancing to music from a boom box. He moved really well, and it was hard to leave rather than watch the dancers. He was in the park climbing to a high limb to retrieve a tangled kite. He was flipping off of a fire escape and landing lightly as if weightless, he was running up a wall to grab a light fixture and swing himself onto a rooftop, he was everywhere, and he was always hard not to watch for someone who had grown up watching the human body in motion like Xion had. He was beautiful. And his face was pretty cute too. 

Xion realized when she was paying attention to roll call in hopes of learning his name that she had something of a crush on this guy. She was still trying to figure out how to get close to him when she noticed that he was being targeted by the bullies. She knew those guys. Not just because they mocked her and had shoved her kid brother when he was waiting for her and her sister to get out of school. She knew the type. Guys like this came into her family’s dojo sometimes, wanting to learn “how to beat people up”. Every time her father politely turned them away, though sometimes he had to add an arm bar to his refusal before they’d listen. She'd thought they needed a lesson to begin with, and once she realized they were bullying the guy she probably had a crush on, she definitely had to do something. So when she’d seen the guy- Roxas was his name- heading for the parking lot, she’d followed. She’d gotten waylaid by her sister, but had managed to get away and get there in time to stop them from really hurting Roxas. 

And then things had gone wrong. Mulan had figured out what was up, and had gotten the vice principal. Luckily neither Xion or Roxas got in trouble, but Xion was so embarrassed. This wasn’t what she’d imagined. She had been planning to go out there, beat up all the bullies, help Roxas to his feet with a winning smile, and then- yeah, she should have known things wouldn’t work out quite so smoothly. Stupid Xion. 

That didn’t mean she could forgive her sister so easily. 

“Mulan, why did you do that?!” she hissed in Yue. She didn’t like to use their native tongue here, since people made fun of it or were even hostile, telling her to just speak English or go home, but she didn’t want this conversation to be overheard. “I could have handled it!” 

“Dad would be so disappointed in you,” Mulan replied. “He didn’t teach us martial arts for you to use them so shamefully!” 

“They’re bullies, and I was helping someone.” 

“Yeah, well, I don’t think he really wanted your help. Judging by the overwhelming thanks he gave.” 

Mulan was right. He hadn’t seemed particularly grateful. And that was why Xion’s spirits were low. She had hoped for at least a conversation with him. Maybe even an arrangement where she could teach him some defensive techniques. But in the end he’d only gotten a black eye and said nothing. 

Still, Xion wasn’t going to give up that easily. 

* * *

Roxas’s chemistry teacher was not impressed with his homework, but accepted it anyways, though not without holding it up for the class to see and stating that any assignments turned in in such a condition would receive an automatic ten percent off. Not like Roxas cared. He didn’t need good grades. He only went to school because it was required. He’d be 16 in a few months, and then he could get a job and once he’d earned enough money he could get emancipated and go off on his own. No one cared about grades when you were applying for a job at the gas station or grocery store. They only cared if you could ring up sales or stock shelves or pump gas and wipe windows. 

The problem was, Roxas still needed to get his key back. He was pretty sure that bully still had it. He hadn’t exactly searched the parking lot, since he’d wanted to get away from that girl, but it would be just like those guys to hold onto the key just to make him mad. 

As soon as school was over, Roxas went and found the bullies. It wasn’t hard, they were always in the same spot, smoking and looking cool for everyone to see. They were sitting on top of a car, and Roxas hated that he had to talk up to them, but he couldn’t help it. Besides, he’d still be talking up to them even if they were standing, he was so lacking in height. 

“Give it back,” he said. 

The leader took a drag. “Huh? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said in a voice that said he knew exactly what Roxas was talking about. 

“I’m not going to play. Give it back. Now,” Roxas said. 

“Oh, you mean this?” the leader said, as if Roxas hadn’t ignored his baiting. He pulled out the key and help it up. “But I rather like it. Maybe if you kiss my feet I’ll give it back.” 

The humiliation game. They were going to see how far they could push him, how low they could make him sink, in front of the entire school. But Roxas had had enough. 

“Hey, I’m not done with you, you-” the girl from earlier finished with a word Roxas didn’t know, one that wasn’t English. But he’d bet it wasn’t one that meant “dear sweet friends”. She pushed her way through the students leaving school and the ones spectating in case there was a fight, and threw her backpack at them, catching one of the bullies in the jaw and knocking him into two of his friends. She then clambered up onto the car, ready for another fight. 

“Listen you little-” the leader began. 

“Pick your fight later. I need my key back,” Roxas said to the girl. 

“Fine,” she said back, and made a grab for the key. The leader pulled away and she missed. With a nasty smirk, the leader smiled, and shoved the girl. She was too close to the edge of the car’s roof, and wobbled, on the verge of falling. 

With a sigh, Roxas vaulted onto the car roof, catching the girl’s arm and keeping her from falling. Her face looked a little red as he steadied her, but it was hard to tell since her hair was in her face. 

“You know what, let’s do this some other time,” she told the bullies, and hopped off the car. 

The leader sneered as she walked away, and was caught completely unaware as Roxas whipped past him. Now he was the one struggling to regain his balance. His buddies caught him in time for him to see Roxas, perched on the trunk of the car, toss the key in the air, catch it, and flip them the bird. 

“Later,” Roxas said, and raced off, weaving through the crowd and escaping to freedom. 

* * *

Their second encounter hadn’t gone much better. She’d meant to get him that key, since it seemed important to him, but in the end she’d just embarrassed herself. Mulan was right. She was going about this all wrong. But what else was she supposed to do? 

Xion spent extra time in the dojo that evening, rather than going out to explore. On the mats, she could attain a sort of inner peace, and she needed that. She needed the meditative monotony of endlessly practicing the same motion. She would get her head straight. It just might take a while. 

* * *

Roxas came home and was greeted by his snippy foster mother. She didn’t waste a moment launching into criticism of him for getting home “late”, or for his black eye, or for the fact that his hair was “messy”, when it was probably just his cowlicks again. 

What surprised Roxas was when his foster mother made a comment about “what will your guests think?” Roxas had guests? While he didn’t really get along with this foster family, he didn’t think things were so bad that they’d be moving him on already. But who other than the social workers would come to visit him? 

Roxas entered the living room to see his guests. The first person he saw was a man. Roxas didn’t recognize him, but he didn’t have that fake-friendly atmosphere that the social workers did. But the other person sitting there… 

Roxas couldn’t believe his eyes. He almost brought out the photograph to compare, to make sure that it was the same face, but older, and in different clothes, and not a case of mistaken identity or some hallucination. She looked back at him. 

“What the hell Hope?” Roxas said, which would surely elicit titters from his foster mom. 

“Same to you, Roxas. What’s with the eye?” Hope snapped. Roxas had thought his sister would shrink back, but now he remembered that she responded to anger with her own anger, and when she was angry she did not back down. Well he didn’t either. 

“Why do you care? More than ten years you haven’t cared about me. I’ve had ten years to learn to live without you, so leave me alone!” 

“I told you, didn’t I? Very hostile, refuses to open up to-” the foster mom began, but the man silenced her with a look. Somehow, Roxas felt intimidated by this man, even though he seemed fairly calm as he sat there. 

“Haven’t cared about you?” Hope sputtered. “As if! I tried calling mom all the time after the divorce, but she never answered! And every letter I wrote got returned! If Eraqus hadn’t helped me out, I’d still be wondering where you and mom are and what you’re doing, because no one in our family ever bothered to tell me she’s been dead for eight years!” 

“Like that’s an excuse!” Roxas shouted, even though it was. 

Hope opened her mouth to shout something back, but the man put a hand over her clenched fist, and she sighed. 

“I wanted to see you,” she said more calmly, though there was still anger in her voice. “I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come live with us.” 

Roxas laughed bitterly. “Yeah, because I’m sure dad wants me around so much. He never liked me, Hope.” 

“Well then I guess it’s a good thing I don’t live with dad then! I meant-” Again, the man silenced Hope. 

“Allow me to explain,” he said. His voice was crisp and even. “I am your sister’s husband, Eraqus. We also have two children, Terra and Aqua, who are two years old. When she said us, she meant the four of us.” 

Roxas had been in foster homes with babies before. He didn’t like them. 

“Please Roxas,” the man said, looking at him intently. “Hope really wants you home.” 

Home. That word, it confused Roxas. It was such a common word, and yet it was so alien to him. But maybe, just maybe, he could have- 

Who was he kidding? Roxas wouldn’t have a home until he made one for himself, when he moved into his own place. He didn’t need his sister. 

But maybe he could just stay until he was ready to be on his own. It wasn’t like this foster family was all that great. 

“Fine,” Roxas snapped. 

“Excellent. I’ll make the necessary arrangements. In the meantime, if you need anything, call me,” the man said, and held out a business card in both hands. Roxas snatched the card. 

“Bye,” he said, and headed out of the room. It was rude, but so what. They didn’t really care about him, so why should he care about them. 

* * *

Helping out Roxas had definitely been a mistake, as now those bullies were determined to make Xion miserable. Her lunchbox got stolen and thrown in the trash, her homework got torn up. It was all very juvenile, up until the point where they snatched her textbooks and ran into the boys’ bathroom with them. 

Xion didn’t know what to do. She had a little brother, so she knew what guys looked like and all, but she’d get in trouble if she went in there. It would bring such shame to the family. She’d never be able to look her parents in the eye again. But it pained her to think of her textbooks, floating in a toilet next to urine and feces or doused in a sink. She had to get them- 

“Here.” Her textbooks were shoved in her arms. Even before she turned and saw the retreating blonde head, she recognized that brusque voice. Roxas. Had he helped her just now? Why? Did this mean she’d gotten through to him after all? 

“Wait!” she called, and ran after him. She finally caught up to him as he opened a locker. 

“Um, I, uh. I’m Xion,” she said, awkwardly balancing her books on one arm to offer her hand for a handshake. He ignored it. 

“Er, thank you. For getting my books. That was really nice of you.” 

“I owed you one. Now we’re even.” 

“So, if I help you out again, you’ll owe me again and maybe we can talk more?” she asked. 

He gave her a disgusted look. 

“Okay, maybe not. What does it take to be friends with you?” 

“I don’t need friends.” 

“Well then…” he closed the locker and started to walk away. She could not miss this chance. 

“Would you teach me?” 

“What?” Good question. What should she-? 

“How to dance!” 

“I don’t dance.” 

“Yes you do. You’re good at it. I saw you. Before.” 

“Whatever.” 

* * *

Roxas must have been going soft, because somehow when Xion started hanging around him, he let her. He told himself it was just because they were both targets of the bullies, and could fight back better if they were together than they could alone, but she had a way of making quiet comments every now and then that could make things very amusing. Like when he overheard her mutter in history “ah, he’s a baboon,” after staring at a slide the teacher was showing them of some famous person or other. And another time at lunch when the bullies walked in, he’d almost choked trying not to laugh at her observation that “they’re not sure if they’re peacocks or rams and so they try to impress the ladies with both preening and toughness, and then fail at both.” She was also a good listener, and even managed to get his life’s story out of him, despite the fact that he never told anyone about himself. Not that it stopped people from knowing. They were like wolves, and could smell the foster care system on him. 

Xion, in turn, told him about herself. She told him what she remembered of her hometown in China, and about the place she’d grown up and all her friends there. To Roxas’s ears, they all had strange names, and he could barely keep them straight, but the way Xion told it, they were constantly getting into the craziest of scrapes. It kind of made him want to invite her to try and get into a few crazy scrapes of their own, but that would be lame. And Roxas didn’t think you went looking for those kinds of situations anyways. Not to mention, it would be like he was trying to be a replacement for her old friends, and that was no good. A few of Roxas’s foster families would do that, where they’d try and replace his real family. The ironic thing had always been they would have been a better family if they weren’t so insistent on erasing his past. He wouldn’t do that to Xion. He hadn’t had a whole lot of friends before, particularly not real ones, but he was pretty sure that just wasn’t something you did to friends. 

Hanging out with Xion was great. He always felt calmer around her. Wherever he went, Roxas always found himself getting angry at something or other, yet with Xion around, that didn’t happen. At worst, he’d start to get angry, but then Xion would say or do something that made the anger just vanish. Sometimes it irritated him, but really it was nice to have someone he wasn’t angry around, since Roxas had to admit he didn’t like that side of himself very much. 

Once the hearings started for the transfer of Roxas’s custody to Hope and her husband, Xion was invaluable. Roxas had never liked going to court, and the hearings grated on his nerves to no end. They expected him to dress up and be quiet and sit still and behave like some kind of puppet, and he hated it. And his sister was still far from his favorite person, so he would have been fine without trying to be civil to her for such long hours as the hearings could drag out to be. 

The hard part was explaining to Xion why he didn’t like his sister. He’d tell Xion how his sister abandoned him, and Xion would point out that it wasn’t Hope’s fault. He’d say how Hope was always picking a fight, and Xion would ask if he wasn’t really the one picking a fight. It was so frustrating how Xion could always find the weak spots in his arguments and make him question everything. He didn’t need this. He was almost 16. And once he turned 16, then… 

Then what? It wasn’t like he had any money. He’d have to work for a while before he could afford to move out on his own. And would he drop out of school? He didn’t like school much, but that was because of bullies and all the boring classes that were mandatory. But there were also classes that were really interesting, and he kind of wanted to learn more about those subjects, maybe in college. And for that he needed to finish high school. He also didn’t like the idea of being a dropout as well as an unwanted foster kid and general problem child. He had enough bad labels; he didn’t need any more. 

And if he dropped out, he might not see Xion anymore. He tried to remind himself that he was alone, he’d always been alone, but all the same, the thought of losing someone who just might be a genuine friend saddened him, and made him think perhaps it would be worth it to behave himself and try to get along with his sister, at least for now. 

* * *

“Ah, Roxas. Perfect timing.” It was not the way Roxas wanted to be greeted as he got home from school. 

It was a few months and more than a few hearings later, and Roxas was living with his sister and her little family. It was a little tense, since Roxas and Hope fought a lot. He supposed it was his sister caring about him, but he was old enough to look after himself, without her constantly nagging him because he didn’t eat enough in her opinion or whatever. What did she know about him? It had been ages since they’d last seen each other. 

“Hi Eraqus,” he said. 

“Sorry, I’m in a bit of a hurry. It was supposed to be my day off but I got an emergency call and have to go in and Hope won’t be home for another hour or so, so could you please watch the twins until she gets back? Just make sure they don’t get into anything sticky mostly. No syrup, no glue, no peanut butter, and definitely keep them out of the mud, as they both love to roll in it. Anyways, I’ve gotta go. Thanks, Roxas.” Eraqus was out the door before Roxas could say he had no idea how to handle toddlers. Great. 

Terra and Aqua were looking up at him with big eyes. Terra had his blanket draped over his shoulders. He was probably playing superhero again. He seemed to love that. Meanwhile, Aqua was wearing only her diaper. Aside from their general messiness, these two couldn’t have been much more different. 

“Alright. What do you two want to do?” he asked, already certain he’d regret it. 

Surprisingly, the twins were pretty well behaved. Terra wanted to play with the toy xylophone they had, and Aqua was happy to sit down with a shape puzzle they had. Roxas let them play listening to the racket Terra made with the xylophone and trying to understand the constant jabbering that went on between the two, despite the fact that only a fraction was English, and the rest was a mixture of baby talk and Japanese, since apparently Eraqus was half Japanese. 

It was amazing how quickly things could go wrong with toddlers. One minute, Roxas was thinking idly of putting on one of his favorite tapes, the next Aqua was crying. 

“Aqua, what’s wrong?” he asked, panicked. Had he missed something important? 

“Toilet,” Aqua sniffed. 

“Oh.” Roxas rushed the girl to the bathroom, uncertain what to do. After peeling off the diaper, he balanced his niece on the seat, hoping she wouldn’t fall in or something. That would be just what he needed. The diaper was dirty, so Roxas began searching the cabinet, looking for a fresh one. 

Just then Terra came in. He didn’t have his blanket anymore, and looked a little teary himself. Roxas really hoped it was just sympathetic crying. 

“Rog-as?” Terra said. He and Aqua still had a hard time with Roxas’s name. 

“Yeah?” Roxas said. He heard a strange noise, and felt something wet land on his foot. He looked back to see that Terra had vomited all over himself and Roxas’s lower leg. 

“You have got to be kidding me,” Roxas said. How did one handle a puking child? 

As if things couldn’t get worse, Aqua hopped off the toilet, proudly announcing “all done!” and scampered off, despite being completely naked and having a dirty backside. Not only that, but as she scampered off, she stepped in Terra’s vomit. 

“Aqua! Get back here!” Roxas called, half pleading. He slipped as he tried to stand, but made it upright, then snatched up Terra, getting more vomit on himself as he tried to chase down the errant toddler. 

Aqua seemed to think it was a game, and careened through the house, giggling all the way. Luckily, after the first few steps, all the vomit on her foot had rubbed off, so she only left a few puke-prints. Roxas, on the other hand, had it dripping from his pants. However, he didn’t think he could afford to stop and do something about it until he had caught the little girl and gotten her cleaned up. Besides, if Hope was going to be pissed about a messy house, he’d rather it be a big mess that might have been avoided and was worth being angry over than a small mess that was unavoidable. And Hope would be pissed. Of that he was certain. 

They were chasing Aqua through the kitchen when Terra threw up again. Aqua backtracked to check it out. 

“Aqua, no!” Roxas yelled, and snatched her up before she could decide to make playing in puke her new hobby. He rushed the twins back to the bathroom and deposited them in the tub, turning on the tap and letting it fill up. Luckily Aqua liked baths and could be relied on to stay there while he tried to clean up. Roxas stripped off his pants, using them to sop up some of the vomit on the floor since they were already dirty. He threw the dirty pants in the sink and did his best to clean up the rest with toilet paper. Once this was done he went out to try and clean up the rest. 

He was trying to wipe up the mess in the kitchen when Hope came in. If the sight of her brother scrubbing at the kitchen floor in his underwear alarmed her, she said nothing of it, just placed her car keys on the counter. 

“Hope! I’m so sorry, Aqua was- I mean Terra- well first she- but then he just exploded! I’ll clean it up, I swear!” 

Hope looked Roxas dead in the eye, her face completely blank. Crap. She wasn’t just mad, she was furious. Roxas tried not to cry as Hope left the room, certain she was too angry to even face him rationally right now. 

A long, drawn out noise came from the other room. At first Roxas thought that perhaps Hope was so angry she was screaming, but it didn’t sound quite right. It wasn’t quite continuous, more like one sound repeating over and over. It took him a few seconds to realize it was laughter. His sister was laughing. 

Under other circumstances, Roxas might have been angry that his sister was laughing at him, but he’d been so afraid she’d be pissed that he was simply relieved. Strange to realize that even after only a couple weeks here, he was afraid of getting kicked out. 

Hope was still chuckling as she came in and offered to help him. They got all the vomit cleaned up, put Roxas’s and Terra’s dirty clothes in the washer, and bathed and changed the twins. Later, when Eraqus got home, Roxas got to listen to his sister enthusiastically telling her husband of the disaster with the twins. Afterwards, Eraqus was very apologetic, and Roxas forgave his sister for taking amusement in his suffering. 

* * *

Time went on, and Roxas turned 16. He’d been waiting for it for so long, and yet once he turned 16 he realized he didn’t have a clue what to do next. In the end, it was a good thing he’d moved in with his sister, as Hope and Eraqus helped him a lot in getting everything together and starting his job hunt. 

His first job had been at a grocery store as a bagger. He’d done pretty well, until a customer had told him that people who worked for tips weren’t actually trying, at which point he’d thrown the customer’s eggs in her face. His next job had been at a coffee shop, but after listening to a customer’s tirade berating him for getting her order right, he’d dumped the coffee in the trash and lost that job as well. Then there had been various fast food jobs, a job as a waiter and then another job as a dishwasher, and so on. Every time, something happened and he lost first his temper and then his job. 

Hope tried to be there for Roxas, telling him not to worry and did he know about the time she got fired for flinging a bowl of egg drop soup across the room that one time? It just made him angrier. He didn’t want to hear about all the times she’d messed up. This wasn’t about her. It was about him. It was about needing a job to save money to move out. It was about being independent. And Hope didn’t get that. 

Luckily Xion was a better help. She just listened and sympathized, and somehow got him to join her and her family and some other people for tai chi in the park. It helped a lot. She knew that he just wanted to vent and not actually talk about it, and she accepted that. She also helped him out by finding job applications for him, which was good since he always needed them, and it was also getting harder and harder to get a job since word was getting out about him and his temper. 

Roxas’s current job was at a gas station convenience store. It had crummy hours, it was a long bus ride to and from work, and his manager had started hating him from the moment he showed up to his first shift. Roxas thought it was because he’d been on time on his first day and so the manager hadn’t had something to yell at him for right away. But it was okay if he was hated by his manager, since he hated his manager right back. 

It was about nine o’clock. Roxas had another hour in his shift before the long bus ride home. He could have called Hope to come get him, but Terra and Aqua still woke her up pretty frequently, so he figured his sister needed all the sleep she could get, and Eraqus did too. He could get himself home, even if he did have to run to catch his bus every time. 

Roxas asked his manager to take over the register so that he could use the bathroom. Not surprisingly, he was treated to a lecture on laziness and wasting time, but his manager couldn’t really bar him from going, so after yakking for a couple minutes, the manager took over the register. It was really hard for Roxas to stop himself from pointing out that had his manager simply taken over the register, he could have been back by now, and that his manager’s tirade on wasting time had been the real time-waster. 

After doing his business, Roxas sat at the sink, washing his hands. As per company policy, he made sure to sing “Happy Birthday” to himself twice while scrubbing, so that his manager couldn’t complain about failure to meet cleanliness guidelines. He came out just in time to see a person in an oversized coat and ski mask taking a bag from the manager’s shaking hands. In the person’s free hand was a gun. 

Roxas didn’t think. He did. 

“Hey!” he yelled. The person was already halfway out the door, and didn’t stop. Roxas got a running start and vaulted over the shelves between him and the door, giving chase. A part of his brain called him an idiot for chasing someone with a gun. The rest of his brain ignored that and kept going. How dare this person try and rob the store on his shift? Why couldn’t they just screw with someone else? 

The person shot blindly over their shoulder, but came nowhere near hitting Roxas. Just to be on the safe side, Roxas used a dumpster to get up on a nearby roof, putting on a burst of speed to cut the person off. He leapt down, landing just in front of the person, who was so startled they dropped the gun. Roxas lunged forward and knocked them over, using an arm bar Xion had taught him. She’d expected him to use it on the bullies if they ever tried to bug him again, but it worked just fine for this as well. 

Roxas was still trying to figure out what to do next when the police arrived. They congratulated him on catching the robber, and gave him a ride back to the store, where he was promptly fired for abandoning his post and failing to follow company policy regarding stick-ups. Just great. 

* * *

The next day Roxas was wondering where he could begin his latest job search. He was pretty infamous among employers at this point. People threw out his applications as soon as they saw his name. He’d had to go pretty far for that last job, and worried about how much farther would he have to go for the next. If it was too much further, there might not be a bus and he’d have to ask Hope for rides. 

After school, rather than go with Xion to her family’s dojo to hang out, he headed to the bus stop, figuring he’d head to the other side of town and start there. He didn’t have high hopes though. 

Roxas smelled trouble the moment the car pulled up in front of the bus stop. He hesitated as a man got out. The man didn’t look very intimidating- he was rather scrawny himself, but something about him seemed very off. And then he looked right at Roxas, and inside Roxas’s head, alarm bells began screaming. This mulleted weirdo, who was smiling and giving a friendly wave, was dangerous, and he needed to run. 

Roxas made it over the fence behind the bus stop, but only a few steps beyond that before he felt something sting his neck. He barely had time to put a hand up and feel the dart before his legs gave out underneath him and he sprawled face-first on the ground, unconscious. 

On a nearby rooftop, a man smiled. “Bullseye,” he said as he pulled off an eyepatch. 

By the car, the man who had startled Roxas sighed and shrugged. “I told them they were sending the wrong person,” he said as he got back in the car. At the same time, two men got out and clambered over the fence, retrieved the unconscious Roxas, and deposited him in the back seat. It was all very smooth. After all, this was the Yakuza 13. They were good at this kind of stuff. 

* * *

Roxas woke up in an unfamiliar room. It looked like a kind of conference room, with a small table that his head was resting on, a few chairs, and a nice view. Across the table from him was the guy from the car. Roxas looked around, wondering if he could make a break for the door and run away. If he could make it outside, he knew this part of town, and could get home. 

“Oh come on, at least hear us out,” the man across the table said, as if reading Roxas’s mind. “We want to offer you a job.” 

Roxas began looking around more intently, until the man asked “what?” 

“I’m just looking for the fake wall that whatever TV crew is gonna pop out from and tell me I’ve been pranked,” Roxas said. “If this whole thing is a joke, it’s not funny.” 

“Tell me about it. This really isn’t my style, you know? But they’re all like, well you’re in charge of recruitment, you deal with it. Even if this is totally an unconventional recruitment and all.” 

“So if I say I’m not interested in this job or whatever, can I just go?” 

“How about you listen first, okay?” 

“No thanks.” 

“Suit yourself.” Roxas got up to leave as the man picked up a stringed instrument that had been leaning against the wall behind him and began to strum a bit. Roxas reached the knob, but it was locked. 

“What the hell?” he asked, angry. The man ignored him. 

“Hey, why’s the door locked?” The man was still strumming. 

“Hey! Will you stop messing with that silly-looking guitar and-” The man stopped strumming and threw something at Roxas. A small knife embedded itself in the door, and the man said “It’s a sitar. And his name is Arpeggio. Do not make fun of him.” 

“That’s nice, now will you please unlock this door?” Roxas asked, trying not to sweat. He suddenly wished he’d taken Xion up on her many offers to teach him martial arts. Sure, he’d learned that arm bar and a few other things, but it wasn’t enough to deal with this guy. The man may not look like much, but Roxas’s instincts told him that a wrong move right now might get him killed. 

“Nope. You insulted my sitar, so you have to sit and listen to what I have to say.” 

“I’m not taking your freaking-” 

“Are you sure? Starting salary is pretty high. And it includes free medical care.” 

“I don’t care.” 

“Really? It’s gonna be mighty hard to pay rent, let alone go to college, when you’re working at gas stations and such and getting fired after an average of two weeks. But working for us, you’d have enough to buy a house within a year, and you’d definitely be able to afford college tuition. Don’t you want to get emancipated, Roxas?” 

Roxas really didn’t like this. These people knew way too much about him. And they were definitely dangerous. What if he refused, and they killed him? Worse, what if they harmed Hope and Eraqus and the twins? 

“What’s the job, exactly?” Roxas asked, suspicious. 

“Doing what you are good at.” 

“What do you mean by that?” 

“We heard about you running down that robber last night. Pretty impressive work. He didn’t even get two blocks before you caught him. We’d want you to do more of that, and to train others to be as good at it as you. And we’ll train you some, so that you can deal with them once you catch them, because frankly, you got lucky once you caught up.” 

“And if I say no? I am a student, after all.” 

“You can still go to school. You’ll have an assistant to help you out with things, and we’ll give you a pager so you know to come out if we have an emergency.” 

“An assistant?” 

“Well, yeah. All squad leaders have a second.” 

“Squad leader?!?” 

“Oh, did I forget to mention that? We want you to be the head of the thirteenth squad.” 

“The thirteenth squad of what?!?” 

“The Yakuza 13, duh. Who did you think we were, the girl explorers?” 

Roxas considered his options. He’d been worried about saying no before, and now he really doubted it was safe. But he didn’t want to work for a gang. And what would Hope say? 

Still, if the pay was as high as they said, he could get emancipated like they said, and stop being a burden on Hope. It didn’t seem like a totally bad deal. 

“What kind of terms are there?” 

“We ask that you stay on for at least a month after you finish training, which depending on your level could be anywhere from a couple months to a year. You try to bow out before that, we hunt you down. Any time after that, just say “hasta la vista” and you never have to deal with us again. You’re free as a bird. An alive bird, in case you were wondering. Also, it’s recommended you get life insurance- we can help you with setting that up if you need. Other than that, give us results and everything is okay and dandy.” 

“Can I have a day to think about it?” 

“Um, hang on. Let me check.” The man pulled out an index card, and began reading it under his breath. “Let’s see. ‘If target requests time to think, allow it, but only up to three days. However, do not let on that no harm shall come to the target or any family and friends of his, regardless of his answer.’ Oh, oops, I said that out loud, didn’t I? Oh well. Whatever.” The man tossed the index card aside. “You can pick up my business card from Saix on your way out. He’s hard to miss. Blue hair, pierced ears, scar on his face shaped like an X, tall, grumpy, and probably being trailed by a red-headed pyromaniac beanpole.” 

“Um, but the door-?” Roxas said, but the man had already picked up his sitar again. With a sigh Roxas tried the knob, and to his surprise it opened with ease. A man outside escorted him down the hall and up a floor to pick up the business card, and then down to the ground floor, where Roxas made his way to the exit. He was very glad to be out of there. 

* * *

The first person Roxas talked to about what had happened was Xion. He went straight to her house and spilled. Oddly enough, he was almost in tears by the end of the story, and Roxas couldn’t remember the last time he’d cried. Crying was for the weak, and he had always had to be tough. 

“Xion, what do I do?” he asked her. 

“Well you could tell them no…” 

“But that guy could have been making things up when he said no one would be harmed!” 

“Or you could say yes and start coming to the dojo. My parents don’t understand why you aren’t coming already. They think everyone should do martial arts, particularly my friends. And my dad was saying you’re the right size for a sparring partner for me.” 

“‘Cuz I’m short, right?” 

“Roxas, you’re taller than my mom. And my grandparents, though they’re still back in China.” 

“That doesn’t mean I’m not short.” 

“Fine, you’re short. Which is great for throwing people, since you will usually have a lower center of gravity, and to throw someone you need to get below their center of gravity.” 

“Ha. Got you to admit that you think I’m short.” 

“Roxas, I am barely over five feet. I think of people as either my size, tall, or giant. Not short.” 

“So you think I should do it,” Roxas sighed. 

“No. I think that you think you should do it. And if you are going to, then I think you ought to let me help you. I don’t want you getting hurt.” 

“Man, how am I gonna tell Hope about this?” Roxas asked. 

“My mom says that hesitation is your worst enemy. Don’t think, do.” 

“Easier said than done.” 

“You’re telling me. There’s something I’ve been thinking about doing but I’m always worried that the results will be…” 

“Oh, what is it?” 

“Um…” The look on Xion’s face said it all. They were friends, but were they just friends? 

“Oh.” Roxas turned away. Was this good or bad? He wasn’t sure. 

“Sorry, I-” 

“Okay.” 

“What?” 

“I said okay. I- I’ll do it.” 

“Oh. Um, okay.” 

Roxas and Xion leaned towards each other, and their lips met, just for a second. Then they were jumping apart, and Roxas caught a glimpse of Xion’s face, which was very red. There was a sensation on his skin that indicated that her blush was mirrored by one of his own. Because that was… 

Well it was certainly awkward, but how had he not noticed how much he cared about Xion all this time? No, that was simple. He had noticed, but hadn’t wanted to. He still wanted to deny it, because if he didn’t want to have a crush on her when they might go their separate ways, then he definitely didn’t want to have a crush on her if he was going to join a gang. But he did have a crush on her, and she apparently had a crush on him, and it was somehow both the best and worst thing that had ever happened to him. 

“So uh-,” Roxas said, and then cleared his throat since his voice was cracking so badly it was even higher than Xion’s. “I, uh-, guess we’ll be seeing each other a lot now. I mean, a lot more. Since, um, since I’ll be coming to the dojo and all and maybe we’ll be sparring partners and, uh…” What was he even saying? 

“Y-yeah,” Xion said, and he could tell she thought that this was a rejection. 

“And maybe we should also see each other other times too? Like dates or something?” 

The look on Xion’s face was priceless. He wished he had a camera to take a picture of it, but he supposed that maybe, if all went well, he’d be able to make her have that expression more, which would be even better than any photograph. The timing sucked, but Roxas was suddenly very glad that he was falling in love with his best friend. 

* * *

Roxas didn’t know what to expect when he told Hope what had happened, but it certainly wasn’t for her to go yell at Eraqus. Nor did he expect Eraqus to respond by locking himself into his office to make a phone call, which Roxas couldn’t quite hear as he sat in his room doing his homework, but his brother-in-law’s voice was audible, and it was definitely angry. 

Eventually the phone call ended, and Eraqus stormed into Roxas’s room to inform Roxas that he would be picking him up from school tomorrow and giving him a ride. Roxas had to marvel at a lawyer from a small firm taking on a gang like this. He wondered if he should tell his sister her husband was insane. But Hope was still in a foul mood from Roxas’s news and he didn’t think it wise to push her right now. 

The following day, Eraqus drove Roxas to the building he’d been in yesterday. It was a tense ride, and every time Roxas tried to say anything Eraqus didn’t seem to hear him. 

Roxas had expected they’d park in front of the building, but Eraqus drove them into a parking garage and whipped into a spot. He yanked the keys out of the ignition and got out of the car, heading single-mindedly for an elevator without bothering to check if Roxas was coming. Roxas trotted to keep up, barely making it into the elevator before the doors closed. 

When the doors opened, Eraqus led the way in, winding through the hallways as if he knew the place well. Roxas was a little bewildered as to how his brother-in-law was familiar with a gang’s headquarters. Perhaps he’d had a case against them before or something. 

Eraqus stopped at a door and rapped on it loudly and continuously until someone from next door poked a head out. 

“Where’s Demyx?” Eraqus barked before the poor unfortunate person could retreat. 

“H-he’s not here. Saix took him to work on paperwork.” 

Eraqus stormed off again, and Roxas had no choice but to follow, thanking the person on his way. They wound their way down to another door, which Eraqus threw open without preamble. Inside, two men- Roxas’s abductor and the blue-haired man who had given him the business card - both reached inside their coats, but relaxed when they saw who was there. 

“Eraqus, what brings you here?” Saix asked. Roxas wondered how the man knew his brother-in-law, and by name. 

“Might I have a word with Demyx?” Eraqus said icily. 

“What about?” 

“I would like to know what on Earth possessed him to recruit my brother-in-law for your little gang. Xemnas said the recruitment was solely his doing.” 

“Brother-in-law?” the abductor asked, looking nervous. Roxas waved. 

“Um, Eraqus, how do you know these people?” he asked. 

“I have some rather unfortunate family connections,” Eraqus replied. 

“This is gonna be good,” a voice said quietly from behind them. Roxas turned and saw the doorway was filled with a small handful of shady-looking individuals, one of whom carried popcorn. 

“So. You’re telling me. That that guy. Roxas. Is your brother in law?” the abductor asked. Roxas and Eraqus both nodded. 

“Holy shit mother porcupines. Well, so much for that option.” 

“Oh I’m sure you’ll find someone,” the blue-haired man said. 

“Um, actually, I came to say I’d do it,” Roxas said. 

Behind him, he heard popcorn being dropped. He could feel several pairs of eyes on him, staring in disbelief. 

“Erm, thanks Eraqus, but I think this might be a good opportunity for me. I don’t want to be a burden on you and Hope, and I know I can do what they want me to, and, well, I’m gonna do it. S-sorry.” 

Eraqus sighed. 

“Hope is going to kill us both,” he said, shaking his head. “But if that’s what you want then so be it.” 

“Woo-hoo! I can finally stop searching for a new number 13!” the abductor cheered. 

“I wouldn’t bet on it. You know they never last long,” the blue-haired man said. 

“Wait, you recruited him for the thirteenth division?” Eraqus said. 

“Yeah, we need a new squad leader and-” 

“Oh no. Oh heavens no. I take it back. Roxas, let’s go.” 

“But you said-” 

“I know what I said, but that applies to anything but the thirteenth division. Even if you aren’t superstitious, there’s no denying that their leaders never last long. The record for holding the position without falling victim to death or dismemberment is seventeen months. And none of the others even made it to a year.” 

That was rather discouraging to hear. Still, Roxas had already decided to do this. Xion had told him not to hesitate. So he wouldn’t. 

“I said I’m in, didn’t I? I’m doing it. And no one, not you, not Hope, I repeat, no one, is going to stop me,” Roxas said, glaring Eraqus down. 

Eraqus glared back for a few long seconds, then looked away. 

“Fine,” he said, and there were “ooh”s from the people in the doorway. 

“But I’ll have all of you know,” Eraqus said, turning to face the onlookers, “that if my brother-in-law gets so much as a stubbed toe while working for you guys, you’re going to need to find a new lawyer. Do I make myself clear?” 

“Crystal,” a man with silver hair said, stepping forward. 

“Alright then,” Eraqus said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I will need some tea before we discuss this more.” He swept out of the room. After he was gone, the silver-haired man held out a hand to shake. 

“Welcome to the Yakuza 13, Roxas.”


	12. I'm the Oldest, That's Why: Age - 9

It must be said how very strange it is the way it is difficult to remember whose turn it is to do a certain shared chore. 

“I had to clean our room last time, so that means it’s your turn,” Sora insisted. 

“What are you talking about? I cleaned it last time!” Vanitas exclaimed. 

“Nuh-uh! You haven’t cleaned it since…” Sora trailed off, uncertain. The last time their room had been cleaned was so long ago that neither of them was certain when it had happened, or who did it. 

“Well, anyways, I’m older, so you should do it because I say so,” Sora said by means of finishing his thought. 

“That’s ridiculous. I’m totally older than you. I’m way more mature.” 

“If you’re so mature, then why do you still wet the bed?” 

“At least I don’t cry whenever we have math homework!” 

“At least I’m not afraid to talk to people!” 

“Well doc let me stay home alone last week!” 

“That was an accident! He just forgot that you weren’t in the car already!” 

“Well it doesn’t matter anyways. All this is irrelevant because I am definitely the older twin. So there.” 

“I bet you I’m older.” 

“I’m older. I bet you to infinity.” 

“You can’t bet to infinity.” 

“Yes you can.” 

“Why don’t we just ask?” 

Vanitas and Sora glared at each other, arms crossed and lips pursed. They nodded, completely in sync, and turned and walked out of their room in unison. They marched down the stairs and found Saix in the kitchen, trying to chop a carrot. Unfortunately, someone had let the knives go dull, and it kept slipping unless he cut the tuber into larger chunks than he wanted. He was willing to bet that Demyx had decided to try whittling again. It was one thing if he wanted to make his own double reeds or fix an instrument or whatever, but did he HAVE to use the good kitchen knives? 

“Maaaaa,” Vanitas called out, and Saix put the knife down in relief. 

“What is it, boys?” he asked. 

“I’m older, right?” both of them said at once. Saix resisted the urge to call Axel and ask him to bring the aspirin. Besides, if Demyx was whittling, it was likely Xaldin finished off the latest bottle and hadn’t yet gotten around to replacing it. It was amazing just how much aspirin the Yakuza 13 leaders went through, especially at the twins’ house where they were faced with boys who were wonderful and cute and necessarily so because they were also loud and energetic and frustrating, and some of the leaders had annoying parenting partners as well. 

“Ummmmm,” Saix said. 

“Well?” the boys demanded. 

“I don’t actually know,” Saix admitted. 

“What?!” Sora exclaimed. 

“But you’re our Ma!” Vanitas cried. 

“Well, yes but-” 

“Okay, then we’ll just ask Xemnas. He’ll know,” Sora said. 

“He’ll get mad. Let’s try Doc instead. A doctor should be able to tell,” Vanitas argued. 

“Boys, you know how busy we all are,” Saix pleaded, hoping to deter the twins. 

“So we’ll ask him when he’s parenting,” Sora replied. 

“Or we could ask Dad. He knows everything Doc does,” Vanitas said. 

“Boys, you are NOT to encourage Vexen and Zexion’s rivalry.” 

“Well then what are we supposed to do?” Vanitas asked. 

“Well-” Before Saix could finish the eyes of both twins lit up and they said at once “We’ll call Uncle Eraqus.” 

“Boys!” Saix called as the twins ran for the landline. Just then, Axel came in the back door. 

“Stop them!” Saix yelled. Thankfully Axel caught on quickly, and he lunged over to clap a hand on the phone, preventing the twins from using it. 

“Pappy, come on, we need to call Uncle Eraqus!” Sora pleaded. 

“He’s in a meeting with the bossman,” Axel told them. “So whatever you need will have to wait.” 

Vanitas growled and Sora pouted. 

“Hey, no sulking. It’s not our fault Xemnas called him in.” 

Saix refrained from pointing out that it was indeed their fault, since Axel had insisted they go drinking the previous week, despite the fact that alcohol sometimes caused Saix to go berserk, and Eraqus had been called in to discuss a settlement for the damages the two of them had inadvertently caused. 

“They want to know which of them is older,” he explained instead. 

“Well we have no way of knowing, sorry,” Axel said. 

“How come?” Sora asked as Vanitas sighed. 

“Because your birth certificates are indistinguishable,” Axel said. “Saix, how come you didn’t explain this?” 

“I didn’t get a chance.” 

“What do you mean, ‘indistinguishable’?” Vanitas asked suspiciously. 

“It means they can’t tell them apart,” Sora said. 

“I know that!” 

“I mean they are for a ‘Travis’ and ‘David’,” Saix said. “And while they do include eye color, they both say blue.” 

“What? That’s got to be a mistake!” Vanitas protested. 

“Maybe. Maybe not. A lot of children are born with one eye color, but then it changes. So Vanitas may have had blue eyes at birth.” 

“Well just great. How are we supposed to know who’s Travis and who’s David?” Vanitas grumbled. 

“We don’t,” Sora said sadly. 

“Boys, why is this so all-fired important anyways?” Axel asked. 

“Whoever’s older gets less chores,” Vanitas said. 

“And a bigger allowance!” Sora added. 

“A bigger allowance, eh? Does Xaldin know he’s approved that?” Axel asked. Both boys paled. 

“Uhh…” Sora gulped. 

“We’re sorry! He didn’t mean it. Please don’t tell Pop on us,” Vanitas begged, covering Sora’s mouth. 

“Alright, but no more arguing over this,” Axel said. He caught his partner’s eye and winked. Saix had to hand it to Axel- he was really good at talking people into corners when he wanted to. 

“Yes, sir,” the boys said. Sora even saluted. What a cute kid. 

The boys walked off, and once they were out of sight Vanitas lightly whacked the back of Sora’s head like they’d seen their parents do to each other so many times. 

“Idiot,” he muttered. 

“You can’t call your older brother an idiot,” Sora hissed back. 

You can tell twins not to argue, but you can’t stop them from trying to one-up each other. That’s just how twins, or any siblings really, are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The names on their birth certificates aren't totally random. Just sayin'.


	13. Little Leagues: Age- 9

“Foul!” the referee called. 

On the sidelines, 13 people stood up. Of the cluster of people who came to cheer on Sora and Vanitas, only Xemnas, Eraqus, and Eraqus’s older children remained sitting. Ventus would have remained sitting too had he been spectating and not on the field. Eraqus had his head down, and was massaging his temples with one hand. 

“That’s not a foul!” Lexaeus roared. He would know. He knew all things sports, and had also been the one who taught the twins how to play soccer. He’d also taught them how to play teeball (and later baseball), basketball, football, volleyball, tennis, and a strange game none of the others had heard of called “hurling”. He claimed that last one was from Ireland. 

Xemnas idly tapped a button on his cellphone, where he was browsing the internet. He didn’t care for children’s sports matches. This was all an inconvenience. Unless of course, Sora or Vanitas scored, in which case he thought he could manage a “thumbs up” and maybe a few claps. He supposed he could extend the courtesy to Ventus as well. 

“Dad, do you need some aspirin?” Terra asked. Eraqus shook his head. What he needed was for the Yakuza 13 to learn to control themselves. Not that that would ever happen. Aqua, meanwhile, was taking the opportunity to drink some water. Her voice was getting a bit hoarse from cheering for Ventus and the twins. But Sora and Vanitas had told her before, blushing, that they played better when she cheered for them. And she knew Ventus felt like the invisible one when Sora and Vani had so many parents- so many loud and visible and noticeable parents- so she wasn’t going to leave him out. 

Indeed, it hadn’t been a foul. Vanitas had slid across the grass on his side to kick the ball away from the opposing team’s player and pass it to Sora. It would have been a perfectly fine thing for a pro to do, but it was not something one expected from a 9 year-old. The kid who had lost the ball was crying, terrified at the way things had just gone down. Also, he’d been told for years that he was going to be a star, and he had just been outshone by a total rookie. How dare this new kid, when everyone knew that he was the best in the league! 

The ref looked over to see who was contesting his call and turned pale. People often did that when they saw the Yakuza 13. Or maybe it wasn’t the 13, so much as the fact that Lexaeus was still yelling, and was also making his way down the bleachers. The ref was merely average height and average build, whereas Lexaeus was tall, muscular, and very angry. He wasn’t prone to rages, but he had a strong sense of his version of justice, and a deep love for the twins. Right now, his beloved boys were being dealt an injustice, and that was enough to push the usually sedate Lexaeus over the edge. 

“Um, Uncle Lexaeus?” Terra said. Lexaeus didn’t hear, but the others did. Reluctantly, Xaldin followed his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. Lexaeus turned to chew him out, but saw it was Xaldin and remembered they were at a children's soccer game. With a sigh, he finished off the point he’d been making, and returned to his seat, glowering so intensely the referee was certain the air around the man darkened. The game continued, but the ref would report this to league officials, and within a week, the twins would be off the team. 

As Sora and Vanitas put their jerseys away, they sighed. The bin the jerseys went into was filling up quickly. As well as their soccer jerseys and cleats and shinguards, there were also jerseys and equipment from various other sports they’d been kicked out of. There were the basketball jerseys from when they’d played for the Mushrooms- that career had ended when Vanitas had boosted Sora, who was a very good jumper, so that he could make a slam dunk, and had then gotten stuck hanging onto the hoop, a fact that Vanitas had taken advantage of by making any shot he could, because no matter how erratic the ball’s path was, Sora could catch it and put it in. There were also the gloves from when they’d tried baseball. Demyx had lied about their ages to get them into the league, but they were discovered and barred from playing, even if they hit home runs when the twelve-year-olds they played with could barely even hit the ball. There were some football pads, but they’d gotten kicked out when their coach found out who their parents were. The coach had figured that if two of their dads had gotten ejected for violence, the same could be expected of the twins. 

Also in the bin were their knee pads from volleyball, their tennis rackets, and even a couple of lacrosse sticks. Tennis had ended when Larxene had stopped a game to coach the boys on their grips, Volleyball had ended after a parent from an opposing team made a comment about the boys which prompted a fight (if a one-sided beating could be called as such), and Vanitas had ended lacrosse for them during their very first practice when he broke his stick during a spontaneous jousting match with Sora. He had missed his brother and had instead rammed stick-first into another kid, who had suffered only superficial injuries, but as Vanitas had called him a slowpoke, he was more than happy to ham up the tears until his mother demanded he be taken to the hospital. She had then tried to get the team to foot the bill, but they reminded her of the waivers she’d had to sign. Still, Sora and Vanitas were told they were no longer welcome on the lacrosse field. 

Neither of the boys was happy to abandon yet another sport. They liked being athletes. Vanitas very much enjoyed the feeling of power and the rush of adrenaline he got while participating in sports, and the way Sora actually got somewhat tired after running all over the place in his general over enthusiasm, leaving him a little less hyperactive than normal. Sora simply enjoyed having an outlet for his boundless energy. 

As the boys stared forlornly at their gear the voices of Lexaeus and Zexion drifted into their room. 

“It’s my fault.” Lexaeus despaired, head in his hands. “If I hadn’t lost my temper the twins would still be in soccer.” 

“Relax Lexaeus.” Zexion said, resting a hand upon the sitting man’s shoulder. “It’s not like this is the first time. I’m sure there are other sports we can try.” 

Lexaeus shook his head, “But how long until they get kicked out of those ones? How long can we keep trying to find them something else?” 

“This is true.” Zexion brought his hand up to his chin, propping his elbow up with his other arm. “Though if we were to create our own team, they would not be able to get kicked out.” 

Lexaeus immediately looked up, eyes bright. “Zexion that’s genius! We just need to create our own little league team and us parents can be the coaches.” 

“Uh, I don’t think that’s-” 

Lexaeus stood up suddenly, forcing Zexion to back away from his bulk. “Nonsense Zexion, this is a great idea. Let’s go tell the others.” 

This was how a few days later the Yakuza 13 found themselves filling out paperwork to form their own children’s soccer team within a different league. It was a slow process. They spent hours arguing about the name (Wayfinders) and once they solved that they immediately began to argue who would be the official coaches and who would be considered volunteers. When they finally reached the end of the form the fourteen parents encountered a major problem. Who would the players be? They couldn’t form a team with just Sora and Vanitas. A team needed seven players for U-9, but who else could they get to join? 

This was how Eraqus ended up with the thirteen of them on his doorstep. All fourteen of them would have come, but they weren't about to leave the twins all alone. Dangers aside, their darling boys would get into all sorts of trouble if unsupervised. In the end, Marluxia had won the paper-rock-scissors tournament to stay with the twins. 

“What do you want?” Eraqus asked suspiciously. 

The Yakuza 13 members looked at each other, and as one they all stepped back with the exception of Vexen. Vexen looked around him panicked, but eventually accepted his fate and stepped forward to speak. 

“We were wondering if we could have Ven join our soccer team.” 

“What.” came Eraqus’s flat response. Before Vexen could speak, Eraqus put out a hand to stop him. “I heard you. Why don’t you all come in. Standing out here looks suspicious.” 

Eraqus regretted his words immediately after he let them all inside. While his house wasn’t small, none of his rooms were meant to accommodate fourteen people. He lead them to the living room where various members awkwardly sat on the couches and the few chairs, but most had to remain standing. They also had to make sure not to bump into the tank of goldfish that Ven had taken in from Roxas and Xion’s wedding. The noise had attracted his children who followed them from the TV room. Terra and Aqua remained near the entrance, peeking in, but Ven tiptoed forward and grabbed on to the back of Eraqus’s shirt. 

Eraqus crossed his arms, “Now explain to me again what all of you are doing here.” 

Lexaeus was the one to speak. “We’re planning on starting a soccer team and need more members for the team.” 

“We were hoping you’d let Ven join in order to fill the roster.” was Saix’s voice. 

“We thought if we created a team, Sora and Vanitas could enjoy a sport without worrying about being kicked out.” Roxas explained. 

Eraqus’s stared at Roxas, who was sitting on the floor. Out of all the Yakuza 13, Roxas was the one Eraqus was the most fond of as he was actually his brother-in-law, and he actually maintained some semblance of sanity. 

After a while, Eraqus sighed and dropped his arms. “Well I can see that this isn’t just another selfish scheme of yours, but did any of you think to hold tryouts before showing up on my doorstep?” 

A few of the members deigned to look guilty. “No?” Axel said. 

With another sigh Eraqus brought a hand up to his face. “Why don’t you guys hold tryouts first. I’ll talk to Ven and if he wants to join your soccer team we’ll be there. Now please, get out of my house.” 

The Yakuza 13 members awkwardly shuffled out of the house and returned to their home where they began to plan for tryouts. 

* * *

A week later the Yakuza 13 held tryouts after emergency planning and advertising. Despite everything being last minute it looked like there would be a decent turnout. However, after seeing who would be leading the team, many a parent turned around and immediately left. This troubled Lexaeus greatly, because it had been decided that only he and Xion would show up out of the fourteen in order not to be intimidating. He had not thought they would be well known enough to scare off so many possible players. 

The first parent to stay was a mother that was reluctantly being dragged along by her son to the soccer field. When the boy reached the field he let go of his mother’s hand, said something to her and immediately came to stand next to Lexaeus who was the coach. 

“I’m Tidus and I’ll be the best player on your team.” He declared. 

“That’s very nice.” Lexaeus responded politely, “For now, go sit on the benches with the other children trying out.” He pointed to a bench where Sora and Vanitas sat, currently playing a game of red hands. 

Tidus followed Lexaeus’s finger and sat down next to Vanitas and starting talking to him. Vanitas was confused at this friendliness but occasionally said something back to the boy while he and Sora took turns slapping the back of each other's hand as hard as they could. 

Next to show up was an older man with a fluffy white head of hair and mustache. He was holding the hand of a small black-haired boy. When Lexaeus and his co-coach Xion saw the boy they both suppressed a frown. Not only was the boy small for his age, he also moved in a rather jerky fashion. It was as if his limbs were being pulled by invisible strings rather than being moved by the boy’s own power. 

“Are you the coaches?” The man asked. “My name is Geppetto and this is my grandson Pinocchio.” 

Xion was the one to speak “Indeed we are, my name is Xion and this is the head coach Lexaeus.” 

Lexaeus put out a hand for Geppetto to shake, “A pleasure to meet you.” Pinocchio took one look at Lexaeus face and hid behind grandfather’s back. 

“I’m sorry, he can be shy around strangers.” Geppetto explained. 

Xion smiled, “Not a problem.” She then bent down to be eye-level with Pinocchio. “Are you scared of big man Lexaeus?” 

Pinocchio nodded in response. 

“Well, did you know Lexaeus is actually just a big old teddy bear? One of his favorite movies is Itty Bitty Kitty: Feline Tales. And it looks like you like Itty Bitty Kitties too, right?” Xion said, indicating Pinocchio’s T-shirt, which featured the sparkly Princess Pumpernickel kitty. Pinocchio nodded again. “And do you think Lexaeus is all that scary if he likes Itty Bitty Kitty’s?” 

“No?” Pinocchio’s voice came out high-pitched with his uncertainty, but with an encouraging look from his grandfather he gained the confidence to step out from behind Geppetto and stiffly offer his hand for a shake. “Nice to meet you!” He squeaked. 

Lexaeus carefully took the small hand into his large one. “A pleasure. Why don’t you go meet the other children?” Pinocchio glanced at the benches and gave a smile. He then skipped off, in his odd jerking way and plopped down next to Sora. 

“I hope this works out for him.” Geppeto said, “We haven’t had much luck with other teams.” 

Xion and Lexaeus made sympathetic noises and soon Geppetto went to sit on the benches opposite from the kids to watch tryouts. By the way member turnout was going, Pinocchio would be joining the team whether the coaches wanted it or not. 

Following after Geppetto, Eraqus showed up with Ven. Ven merely waved to Lexaeus and Xion as he made his way towards the other children, Sora pulling Ven into a conversation he was having with Pinocchio. Eraqus merely sighed and sat on the bench for adults. 

The last child to show up came just before Lexaeus was about to call for try-outs to start. He had excitedly started heading towards the field with a frazzled looking woman walking behind him. However, when the boy saw who the coaches were he trailed back and let his mother introduce them. 

“Sorry we’re late.” The woman apologized, “I had trouble finding the place, I haven’t been in this part of town much.” 

Xion decided she should handle this one, “That’s fine, is your son interested in joining our soccer team?” 

The woman rubbed at her cheek tiredly, “He is, though I can’t fathom why he suddenly took such an interest in soccer. Anyways, my name is Athena and this is my son -” 

“Riku!” Sora squealed and tackled the boy in a hug. 

“Sora!” Riku responded enthusiastically. “I’m here to join your soccer team.” 

“Wow, didn’t think you’d be sad enough to follow us here.” Vanitas said, trailing behind Sora. Despite the mean words, there was a pleased note to Vanitas’ voice, indicating his true feelings. 

“All right kids, break it up.” Lexaeus clapped his hands. Sora may have been willing to become friends with his former bully, but that didn’t mean Lexaeus had to like it. “Let’s begin tryouts.” 

Lexaeus called the other kids over and went over what the children would be doing for tryouts. Mostly, they would be going through the basics and at the end the children could have free time to do as they liked. 

Xion lead them through a quick warm-up and then passed them over to Lexaeus. The first thing he had them do was shoot into a goal. As soon as Lexaeus had finished explaining what they were to do, Tidus turned to Vanitas and declared. “I’ll show you who’s the better soccer player!” 

Vanitas raised an eyebrow at this. He had no clue what he had done to receive so much attention from such a stuck-up kid and decided to simply ignore him as much as possible. 

As the kids took turns kicking the soccer balls, Lexaeus gave them tips while Xion took notes on a clipboard. Tidus proved he was at least skilled in aiming. Not only could he make it into the goal but he could often hit the ball into an area of the goal designated by Lexaeus. He then ruined the favorable thoughts Lexaeus had of him by taunting Vanitas’s skills when it was his turn. Ventus was the second best at making goals, this wasn’t much of a surprise since out of the other children he had spent the most time playing soccer, though Riku proved to be a natural athlete. He could put a lot of power behind his kicks and his ability to hit certain targets improved greatly as he kept practicing. Sora’s kicks tended to be erratic and Pinocchio had trouble getting his ball to even reach the goal. 

After shooting goals, Lexaeus taught them how to dribble. Most of the kids showed similar skills in dribbling as shooting, though Xion and Lexaeus were surprised at how well Pinocchio could control the ball with his lurchy movements. However, when they started having the kids weave between cones Pinocchio tripped and scraped his knees. When Pinocchio saw his own blood he began to cry. Before either of the coaches or Geppetto could come to his rescue, Sora was there crouching next to the boy and talking to him in a comforting manner. After a few moments Pinocchio stopped crying and stood up with Sora’s help. Sora then led him over to Xion and Lexaeus. 

“He’s ready for band-aids now.” Sora stated. 

Lexaeus took Pinocchio with him to go get the first aid kit and Xion gave Sora a pat on the head. 

“You did a good job Sora,” she said. “When we get home you can be the first to receive dessert.” Sora smiled giddily at this and ran off to brag to Vanitas. 

The rest of try-outs ran smoothly with the expected results. Tidus overall was the best player followed by Ven, who could possibly be edged out by Riku’s quick learning ability. Vanitas showed more aptitude than Sora but this was mostly because Sora had a tendency to become distracted. Like when he saw a caterpillar in the middle of a passing exercise with Riku. Last up was Pinocchio. He wasn’t terrible per se, but his spastic way of moving made it hard to judge how well he’d do during a match. 

Free time started and Xion and Lexaeus retreated to discuss who would make it onto the team. Not that there was much to discuss. While they didn’t have seven members to make an official team they could still play matches against others with six people. 

When the fifteen minutes of free time was over Lexaeus called for the children’s attention. 

“After much deliberation me and my co-coach have decided which of you have made it onto the team. Xion, will you kindly read the names off?” 

Xion nodded and recited the names of all the boys and as each one’s name was called their face lit up with excitement. “Now that you are a part of the team you need to give your parents these forms to fill out and bring to next practice. See you then!” 

The boys separated to leave with their respective parents while Lexaeus and Xion were left to ponder how the next practice would go. 

* * *

Despite their worries, the next practice went much the same. All of the kids returned with the forms filled much to their coaches relief. The only difference is that the audience grew bigger by one little red-headed girl who stared with much fascination whenever Lexaeus took the time to teach the boys something new. The third practice went the same. At the start of the fourth practice Sora went over to talk to the red-headed girl. After a minute of talking to her Sora lead her over to Lexaeus. 

“This is Kairi.” Sora introduced, “She wants to play soccer too.” 

Kairi gave a polite smile. “Its nice to meet you.” 

Lexaeus frowned, he had been planning to have the team play their first match against each other and if he let Kairi join, the teams would be uneven. 

Just then Xion walked up, tucking her phone into her pants pocket. “That was Riku’s mom. He can’t show up today, there’s a fencing tournament he’s competing in.” Xion glanced over at the girl standing next to Sora. “Who’s this?” 

More willing to introduce herself to Xion, Kairi stepped forward. “My name is Kairi. May I join the soccer team?” 

Xion smiled at Kairi. “Of course you can.” 

And that was how the Wayfinders managed to acquire seven members. 

* * *

When another week had passed, Lexaeus sent out Demyx to talk to other teams to set up a match. Despite the reputation Vanitas and Sora had garnered throughout the various sports they played Demyx managed to set up a match without too much trouble. It was Demyx after all, he could sell a man his own shoes if he put his mind to it. According to Saix and Zexion, the team they would play against, the Earthshakers, weren’t very good, but they weren’t the worst either. 

“From mine and Saix’s studies, the Earthshakers lie within the forty-fifth percentile of the local children’s teams. Their member’s abilities are decent but their capability to work together is subpar.” Zexion stated. 

Lexaeus took this information into careful consideration. While he felt that the team Xion and himself had trained could go against most teams their age and hold their own, if not win, Lexaeus worried that this thought was simply bias for his own team. Having a relatively average team to play against would be a good way to ascertain the Wayfinders' true skill. 

* * *

The day of the game Lexaeus was giving his first pep talk to the team while Xion talked to the referee. 

“Alright gang, it’s our first match against another team and I know you’re all nervous.” Tidus and Vanitas both rolled their eyes at this. “But we can do this, remember the skills you’ve learned and most importantly, work together. That includes you Tidus.” Lexaeus shot a glance to the ball-hogger who merely faked a yawn, one hand covering his mouth. This caused the coach to sigh and turn to Kairi, “Kairi, make sure he and Riku pass the ball to you if you’re in a good position.” He then turned to Ven, “Ventus, try not to get too far ahead if you have the ball. It’s no good if you get surrounded and can’t pass the ball to anyone. If Sora’s not keeping up, slow down.” Ven nodded. “Pinocchio, don’t be afraid to get in there and go for the ball, you can get it if you try.” Lexaeus faced the last child lined up in front of him and gave another sigh. “Vanitas, please don’t chuck the ball at the other team’s heads just because you’re goalkeeper. Not only is it not nice but it ends up helping them instead.” Vanitas pouted but muttered a ‘yes sir.’ “Alright, I believe in all of you and so does Xion. So get out there, do your best, and have fun! Break!” 

The children separated and went to their respective positions and few seconds later the other team went to theirs. The ball was tossed, and the game began. 

It was a rocky start for the Wayfinders. Riku did manage to get the ball but it wasn’t long before the other team stole it and started heading down the field. Kairi and Sora crashed into each other while trying to get the ball back and when Tidus went for the ball he missed entirely. He also blocked Vanitas’s view of when the ball was kicked, causing him to miss catching it despite a rather impressive dive. Unfortunately, things didn't get any better as the game went on. 

Earthshakers 2, Wayfinders 0 

That was the score once half time started. While Wayfinders knew how to work together, Lexaeus had seen it during practice, they had never had a chance to work has a unit of seven against another team. The dynamic of the team had changed and it was taking them too long to adjust. For half-time Xion gave a quick pep talk, letting the kids know what they were doing well and giving them a few tips on what to try for the second half. Lexaeus had Tidus and Sora switch positions and hoped that would improve things. Thankfully it did. Now that Sora was closer to Pinocchio he could shout encouraging words more easily. This allowed Pinocchio to gain enough confidence to try and control the ball, and because of his spastic movements confusing the other players the small boy had no problem stealing from them. Now that he was further infield, Tidus went after the ball more aggressively in order to score goals. This also pushed Riku to try harder so as not to be shown up by Tidus. This left Ven backing up Kairi in trying to keep Riku and Tidus from being overwhelmed by the other team. 

Though the coaches couldn’t say whether it was the switch, the pep talk, or simply that they had finally gotten used to working as a team, but the Wayfinders managed to pull together for the second half. They managed to keep the team from scoring, but only managed to get one point themselves. Although the team had lost, Lexaeus and Xion felt proud of their players. They had managed to use the skills they had been taught and had worked together. 

* * *

The rest of the season went by in a flash. There were more games, and more losses, and even a few wins. The wins… well, the wins were somewhat problematic, because although Sora and Kairi and Pinocchio and Ventus all had excellent sportsmanship, Riku could somehow make anything he said seem like gloating, and Vanitas had a tendency to make enemies on the field that he would want to stick the victory to, though he was perfectly friendly to those he felt no animosity towards at the end of the game. Tidus, however, was an entirely different story. He enjoyed elaborate victory dances, jeering at the losing team, and singing his own praises and claiming responsibility for the victory. Between Tidus’s swelled head and deteriorated teamwork due to said ego, they always lost the next game after winning one. 

Still, it was a good season. So they had more losses than wins. So it was clear that it would be impossible to try this again the next year, due to adversity from league organizers and the fact that no one wanted to work with Tidus again and Xemnas was getting quite annoyed with how much time the team took out of Lexaeus’s schedule. But the boys had fun, and that’s what was important, right? They’d got to spend time with their friend Riku, and make more friends who were less dubious than Riku, like Kairi and Pinocchio and even some kids on the other teams. And they’d got to actually see a sport through to the end of the season, which was a first and which meant a lot to the boys. So, in the end, it wasn’t really a great season, but everyone was happy, except for Tidus, but they were all pretty good at ignoring him by then. 

This time when the boys folded their uniforms for the last time and put their cleats and shin guards into the storage bin, they did so with smiles. And on some far-off day, the bin would be opened again, to be looked through with fond memories.


	14. All Hallow's Eve: Age- 9

“Guys, are you done carving pumpkins yet? It’s almost time to go,” Luxord called. 

“Vanitas messed up again,” Sora called back. 

“So did you!” Vanitas snapped. 

“Boys, you’re going to get pumpkin guts on your costumes,” Xion told them. She was supervising the pumpkin carving, a job everyone else had already tried out and lost patience with. 

It was Halloween night, and all was not well. At least, not to the Yakuza 13. And not to the twins, because this year they wanted Halloween to be perfect, and their parents were letting them down quite a bit in their opinions. 

“Well this time you had better get your pumpkins right or else by the time you’re done trick-or-treating will be over,” Luxord chided. Sora gave a chorus of assent while Vanitas protested that it wasn’t his fault the stupid jack-o-lanterns kept turning out wrong. 

The local pumpkin patch was doing good business off the Yakuza 13 this year, as the twins had insisted that each of their parents had to carve a pumpkin. Not only that, but they had also insisted on certain artistic and aesthetic standards. So when Marluxia’s pumpkin had been carved with a very lovely rose- that had actually been done by Vexen since Marluxia had proved quite hopeless when he attempted it himself- they had made him do another because it wasn’t scary enough. And when Xigbar had brought his pumpkin that was supposed to be a dragon but looked nothing like one (though if you squinted your eyes just right it almost looked a bit like the Yakuza 13’s associate Maleficent) Vanitas had stamped his foot and said it was wrong. Then the twins themselves had difficulties carving their own pumpkins to their satisfaction, but heaven forbid they get any parental assistance because they were big boys and could do it themselves. All told the Yakuza 13 had purchased more than 3 dozen pumpkins just to make their sons happy. And at the rate things were going, they were going to need more. Assuming they could find any when it was already Halloween night. 

Luxord sighed and went to the kitchen to fill up a mug of spiced cider and add a bit of spice of his own. The alcoholic kind. Not too much, since he was officially on parenting duty, but enough to help him remain calm. He found Demyx on the kitchen counter, clearing out the highest shelf of the cupboard above the sink. 

“If you’re planning on hiding the candy there to prevent a repeat of last year, I’ll remind you that we hid one of the Easter eggs up there and Sora managed to get it no problem,” Luxord said by way of greeting. 

“Oh, right,” Demyx sighed. 

Last year, following a very successful night of trick-or-treating due to Xaldin accompanying the twins and neglecting to wear a mask, Vanitas had somehow contrived to get Sora to give him all his candy. When the parents had told Sora they couldn’t make cookies because he had Halloween candy and he replied that he’d given it all to Vanitas, the parents had then gone to scold Vanitas and get him to give Sora’s candy back, only to find Vanitas had eaten all of the candy; both his and Sora’s. Vanitas had been unable to eat dinner that night, had ended up vomiting, and had gotten two cavities that had to be drilled- a very difficult process as Vanitas hated the dentist- but you could never be sure he’d learned his lesson and wouldn’t pull the same feat again. As such, the Yakuza 13 had been brainstorming for weeks to try and think of a way to stop the same thing from happening again. It was an impossible task, as the twins were quite wily when they put their minds to it. And for candy, they would definitely put their minds to it. 

Demyx sighed and climbed down from the counter without bothering to replace the items he’d moved. Just then, Zexion walked in. 

“Oo, nice costume. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a realistic zombie. The pale skin, the robotic movements, good job, kiddo,” Demyx said. He earned himself a glare, as Zexion was not dressed any different from normal. 

“I still look less zombie-like than you in the morning,” Zexion sneered. “And I don’t see you commenting on Luxord, despite his dressing as a pregnant woman. Inspired by one of his girlfriends, no doubt.” This because Luxord’s costume was casual clothes accented by a pillow stuffed up his shirt. 

“I am dressed as the post-holiday season, thank you very much,” Luxord protested. “The amount of weight gained over the holidays is certainly quite frightening. I imagine I shall make many a lady scream.” 

“I bet you five bucks you can’t make Larxene scream,” Demyx challenged. 

“I would take you up on that, as I’m sure she would, but I am equally certain she would beat me to a pulp afterwards, so I’ll pass,” Luxord replied. “But Zexion, do you really plan on trick-or-treating like that?” 

“Trick-or-treating? Me? Never. I’d sooner be caught dead than waltzing about in some ridiculous get-up and begging for candy.” 

“You’d sooner be caught dead, eh? That can be arranged,” Demyx grinned. 

“Ah, the pitiful attempts at threats made by the unintelligent. Perhaps if you spent a little less time practicing your dance moves you might be able to do better than that.” 

“I really want to arrange it now. But that aside, why is it that you are so against trick-or-treating with the twins?” Demyx asked. Luxord began to shake his head fervently, to no avail. As Zexion replied, Luxord eased out of the room, not wanting to get involved. 

“You cannot possibly be serious. Are you such a moron you can not even figure that out? I should think it obvious that at 28 I am quite a bit too old to be trick-or-treating.” 

“You are never too old for trick-or-treating. Vexen went with them just two years ago, and he was already 53. Almost twice your age.” 

“And this is supposed to convince me how? I refuse to stoop to the same level of indignity as that imbecile.” 

“Lexaeus would go trick-or-treating.” 

“But Lexaeus actually likes kids.” 

“Are you implying you dislike the twins?” 

“No. I am stating that I dislike children in general, with a few exceptions. The twins are quite dear to me. And Eraqus’s children are also acceptable. But as a whole, children are noisy, obnoxious, rude, unhygienic, clumsy, simple-minded oafs, and on Halloween night they are fueling up on sugary goods which will certainly evolve even the tamest little nightmares into horrendously hyperactive deviants. I will not subject myself to them, not even for the sake of the twins.” 

Meanwhile, Luxord was enlisted to help with jack-o-lantern clean-up. It was a process made far more difficult than necessary by the twins, who were more interested in playing with the pumpkin guts than cleaning them up. Still, finally everything was in the bucket Vexen had asked them to put the guts in as he planned to make seasoned pumpkin seeds, and everyone was washing their hands, with only a little bit of splashing involved on the part of the twins. 

“Padre, why are you dressed as a pregnant lady? That’s not scary at all,” Vanitas said as soon as the tap was turned off. 

“I’m not- oh nevermind,” Luxord grumbled, and pulled the pillow out from under his shirt. He just wouldn’t wear a costume then, if no one could appreciate him. 

“Then what are you going to go as?” Sora asked. 

“Myself.” 

“You mean you’re not wearing a costume?” Luxord shook his head. 

“Laaaaame,” the twins chorused. 

“At least I’m coming with you, unlike Zexion,” Luxord said. 

“Daddy-o said Dad would be busy,” Sora said. “He said that Dad had a Satanic ritual to do.” 

“No, Daddy Xigbar said Dad has to collect the souls of the dead on Halloween,” Vanitas argued. 

“And I’m sure if you kept asking, you’d hear that Zexion turns into a vampire or he’s really a ghost and can’t risk going out or some other such nonsense. He just can’t be bothered to go trick-or-treating,” Luxord said. 

“In that case, you’re both laaaame,” Vanitas said. 

The three of them headed out the front door, where many of the parents who weren’t on duty were waiting, along with Gene from across the street. There was a brief photo session, which the twins sat through with all the patience of a pair of nine-year-olds who want to please their parents but want to go get lots of candy even more, which is to say, they fidgeted like crazy and took off the moment the camera shutters stopped clicking. 

Luxord quick grabbed the packet of glow sticks purchased to ensure they’d be visible, and chased after the twins, who were already halfway to Maurice’s door. He caught up with them as they were collecting the first pieces of candy, although he was just a few seconds too late to flirt with Belle. Oh well. 

“Don’t you worry about anything, Padre,” Sora said. “We’ve got the whole route figured out. We’re gonna hit all our favorite houses.” 

“Like Simba’s house! Mr. Rafiki always has the coolest costumes, and he tells us how scary we look too,” Vanitas said. 

“Yeah, and if we go see Mr. Chien-po, he lets us take whole handfuls of candy!” Sora agreed. 

“And then there’s that house that gives that March Hare candy that Xemnas likes,” Vanitas said. Luxord was surprised at Vanitas’s thoughtfulness, but then realized it was more likely conniving than consideration. Either way, getting candy Xemnas liked wasn’t a bad idea… 

“And then we can visit Mrs. Kala ‘cuz last year she gave us cookies as well as candy, and then we can visit Ms. Queen ‘cuz I heard she gives out entire candy bars,” Sora said. Those names all sounded familiar, though Luxord couldn’t quite place them. 

“Yeah but Ms. Queen is only nice to Aqua and Terra and Ven. She probably gives everyone else toothpaste or vegetables or something,” Vanitas said, and Luxord’s brain made a clicking sound. Those were Eraqus’s neighbors. 

“Um, boys, you do realize that Mrs. Kala and Ms. Queen live too far to walk to?” Luxord asked. 

“Like he said, we’ve got it all figured out,” Vanitas said with a smirk. 

“Yeah, we’ll get all the houses on this street and the next and then you’ll drive us over to Uncle Eraqus’s neighborhood to get the rest,” Sora said. 

“Boys…” Luxord sighed. 

“I already grabbed your car keys. If you don’t want to drive us, I bet I can manage it,” Vanitas said. He was probably serious. 

“Alright, let’s just go,” Luxord said. He hoped the boys couldn’t see the tears in his eyes at being strung along by a couple of nine-year-olds. Oh the humiliation. 

Surprisingly, the boys seemed to have put a lot of thought into their route, as Luxord noticed they did not tire themselves out like they had done every year so far. Last year Xaldin had been forced to carry the twins home, while Demyx had to carry their bulging candy bags. The year before that Marluxia and Vexen had ended up carrying the boys and the effort had left them almost as tired as the twins. And the year before that Roxas and Xion had gotten smart and brought a wagon to pull the twins in once they got tired. And the year before that Xemnas had let them cry as much as they wanted because they’d insisted they could walk that far so they were going to do it. Xigbar had taken pity on them and so they’d gotten to take turns getting piggyback rides, though that hadn’t gone well either as he’d no sooner pick one up than the other would insist they could go no further and it was their turn again. 

In Eraqus’s neighborhood, the twins only stopped by a few houses before seeing if their cousins were back from their own trick-or-treating. Aqua and Ventus weren’t, but it seemed Terra, like Zexion, had decided not to participate. They found him on the porch handing out candy and sulking about it. 

“What are you two doing here? And what are you even dressed as, anyway?” Terra growled at them. 

“I’m a pirate ninja! It was supposed to be Van’s costume, but he liked mine better and I liked his so we switched,” Sora said. 

“Spider-bat-wizard,” Vanitas said. “If you’re not nice to me, I’ll use my echo-location magic to curse you with cobwebs. So give me candy.” 

“A spider-bat-wizard? What kind of costume is that?” Terra asked. 

“The cool kind,” Vanitas replied. 

Actually, it was the indecisive kind. Sora had first announced a costume idea back at the beginning of August, and since then he had changed his mind at least twice a day. Just yesterday he had told Demyx he was going to be a rockstar- which Demyx strongly encouraged- told Axel he was going to be an astronaut, told Larxene he was going to be a cat, told Luxord he was going to be a cowboy, and begged Roxas to get him a key-shaped sword for some unspecified costume. He had only decided on the spider-bat-wizard right before bed, and so that was what the parents went with. Poor Lexaeus had started at least a dozen different costumes over the past few weeks, and had only finished the spider-bat-wizard that morning, after working all night with “help” from Vexen, Marluxia, and Larxene, as Vexen was a surgeon and therefore good at sewing, Marluxia wore costumes so often he was assumed to know how to make them as well, and everyone suddenly remembered Larxene was a woman since there was a “feminine” task like sewing to be done. Vexen and Marluxia had spent most of the time tangling threads, and Larxene had spent most of the time criticizing the two of them, so really Lexaeus did all the work. But it was the thought that counted. 

“Do you wanna come with us to go see Quaz?” Sora asked Terra, who was still eyeing Vanitas’s costume. 

“No thanks. I’d have to tell Dad where I was going, because he still treats me like a kid. My friends don’t have to tell their parents where they’re going all the time.” 

Luxord refrained from telling Terra that he was still a kid. Everyone knew Terra was going through a rebellious phase, and Luxord knew that back when he’d been 15, he’d thought himself quite grown-up too. 

“Okay, see you later, Terra!” Sora said, waving as he hopped off the porch and set off across the grass to get to Quasimodo’s house that much quicker. 

“Hey, wait up!” Vanitas called, running after him. 

The twins stayed and chatted with Quasimodo for a while. Luxord thought about scolding them, as surely Quaz would be having trick-or-treaters come by, but apparently the neighborhood kids were too scared of “the gargoyle” to stop by his house, even on Halloween. 

Eventually it was time to go home. On the car ride back, Vanitas gave Sora half his candy, saying it was to make up for last year. Luxord smiled, completely oblivious to what was to come. 

* * *

It was a week after Halloween and all was still not well. The parents had awoken on November 1st prepared to gripe to each other about all the troubles they’d all had thanks to Halloween- the jack-o-lanterns, the costumes, the trick-or-treating- just general “I have it harder as a parent than you do,” banter, spoken lovingly about their twins. 

That all changed very quickly. At breakfast, Sora was already hyper, having eaten five pieces of candy already. He’d seen Vanitas get sick last year, so he wouldn’t eat it all at once, but he lacked the self-control to stop at just one, even though just one was already enough to give him a sugar rush. And Sora on a sugar rush was extremely hyperactive, to the point where the parents half-believed that they could point him in a direction and tell him to run and he would break the sound barrier. 

The parents were all relieved it was a school day, as they didn’t want to deal with Sora when he was like that. However, when Sora came home with a note from the teacher complaining about his inability to sit still, they realized that unless they found Sora’s candy, they were going to have a miserable time until he finished it off. 

Vanitas thoroughly enjoyed that first day. He rather enjoyed watching his brother being the one getting in trouble at school for once, and seeing the parents tear out their hair over what to do. He was less amused, however, when it was bedtime and Sora couldn’t sleep. In order to try and make himself sleepy, Sora sang himself two different lullabies, got up to use the bathroom several times, turned on the light to read a book, got up to get some water, got up to ask if he’d remembered to give everyone their goodnight hug and kiss, and was generally so restless that Vanitas couldn’t sleep either. From then on, Vanitas vowed to try and police his brother’s candy intake. 

Unfortunately, even with Vanitas on the lookout, Sora still managed to consume lots and lots of candy. He finished off his candy within three weeks, and in that time he’d gotten sent home with a note every day begging the parents to give him ADHD medications, he’d developed a cavity of his own that he would have to see the dentist about- not that he minded as much as Vanitas- and he’d caused the parents to go through six bottles of aspirin. 

When the candy was finally finished, the parents couldn’t have been happier. Halloween was over. It was done. They’d made it through that trial. 

Meanwhile, the twins had already begun counting down the days until next Halloween.


	15. Field Trips: Age - 10

Many children look forward to field trips. Some kids get special lunches on field trips, plus there’s the added benefit of not having class and doing fun things all day. What’s not to love about field trips? 

Yet Sora and Vanitas sighed at the announcement of their upcoming field trip to the aquarium. For them, field trips were the worst. Teachers always asked for parents to volunteer as chaperones. And at least one of their parents always offered to come along, because their parents believed that a field trip would be a perfect chance for their enemies to try and hurt their boys and therefore at least one of them had to be there to protect them. The boys couldn’t avoid their parents not finding out, either, as they had to get their permission slips signed. Once they’d tried to just not turn in the slips and not go, but then the teacher called their house and Axel had driven over to the school so he could sign the slips then and there and rectify the “forgetfulness” of the twins. And even if they weren’t going on the trip, they still needed their parents to sign the slip. The sheer amount of fuss it caused was enough to exhaust even the ever-energetic Sora. 

Who would be coming along this time, they wondered. Each of their parents had already come on field trips before, and caused quite a few problems along the way. 

Like the camping trip that Saix and Axel came along on. Saix had irritated the teachers by making an endless slew of suggestions as to how they could improve their efficiency, and complained about their lack of organization. Axel had managed to be pretty good, looking out for safety concerns and keeping an eye on the kids, but then he’d brought along some fireworks and started setting them off right after the kids had been exchanging scary stories, including one about a sentient flame that burned people alive. The teachers had been less than thrilled to have to clean up 15 accidents, and then they got no sleep as they kept having to reassure kids that they were not going to die. 

On another memorable occasion, they had been accompanied by Larxene and Marluxia to a museum. Marluxia had given lengthy lectures on art history and painting techniques, identified three different “originals” as forgeries, and had gotten into a heated debate with a curator about the dating on one of the paintings. Larxene, meanwhile, had spent the day scrutinizing the museum security as well as the art, and had left the teachers quite alarmed after she spent lunch time telling the kids how easy it would be to break into the museum. 

The teachers at one of their old schools had been quite irritated at the planetarium when Zexion had come along. He had criticisms on almost all the exhibits, and had nearly lost it when they came to a model of the solar system. The model was not to scale, which he claimed was misleading and would cause the children to grow up to be idiots. When someone told him that a scale model of the solar system would not fit in a single room, he took it as a challenge and began planning a schematic for a scale model. Eventually he ended up getting kicked out. 

There had also been the time they went to a nature preserve, and Xion had led a group of children down a side trail, asking “oo, what’s down here?” and completely ignored the guide’s yells that only the main trail was safe. Luckily none of them fell off any cliffs or got mauled by the bear whose den they strayed somewhat near to, but they did end up hiking through a patch of poison ivy, leaving many itchy rashes and angry parents. 

They had also gone to a musical with Luxord and Demyx. Luxord had gotten in trouble for playing poker with kids on the bus. They had been gambling desserts from their lunches, despite the fact that gambling was against the rules. When confronted with this fact, Luxord claimed it didn’t count, since it wasn’t money being bet, and also he fully intended to give back the various cookies and pudding cups he’d won since he had there was no way he could eat such a large amount of desserts. Later, in the middle of the musical, one of the actors had missed a note. Demyx, outraged, had stood up and begun singing along from the middle of the audience. He’d managed to project his voice so well he was louder than the performer, and had left everyone so stunned they completely froze. After finishing the number, Demyx had informed the actor of his missed note with an insult. He’d at least had the good sense to not swear in front of the children, but all the same it wasn’t appreciated, especially afterwards when some of the kids were singing their favorite song and he left them in tears because he wouldn’t let them finish until they sang it right. 

Other instances had included Xaldin scaring all the animals at the zoo. Even the predators took one look at him and ran to hide. The only animals the children saw were sleeping, and even then they sensed danger and woke up to run away. Or there was the time they went to the roller rink. Vexen had volunteered to come as he was an excellent skater- or rather, an excellent ice skater, as he found out when he kept falling, often on top of one of the children he was supposed to be supervising. After his first lap, he had to get off the rink so that he could attend to the injuries of all the children he harmed along the way. And once they had gone to a world cultures exhibit, where Xemnas had raised a riot when he saw the Japanese exhibit. They had come in the middle of a demonstration of the tea ceremony, and apparently everything was wrong from the participants’ postures to the way the woman was wearing her kimono, with the wrong side crossed over. 

And then there was the amusement park. They had allowed three parents on that one. Xigbar had come and taken over a shooting game, winning any prize one of the kids asked him for, until finally he was banned from the game. Lexaeus had also come, which might have been fine had Sora not begged him to come on a roller coaster, which had caused him to throw up, and then Vanitas had dragged him into the haunted house, where Lexaeus got so frightened they had to shut it down so that he could be coaxed out. Roxas, as usual, had proven the good responsible parent. In fact, he was such a great and caring chaperone, that when one child lost hold of his balloon, Roxas retrieved it for him. Unfortunately, Roxas’s retrieval of the balloon involved using his parkour skills to climb up the struts of the ferris wheel while it was in motion to snag the balloon. Not only was this extremely disruptive, but it also was rather inspiring for the kids. More than one child broke an arm or leg over the course of the next month or so as they tried to imitate Roxas on the playground or in their backyard. 

After all of the past events they'd been through, when the day of the field trip to the aquarium rolled around the boys were feeling very glum. How would they get in trouble today? Would a parent decide to go for a swim? Maybe decide to fight with a shark? They’d heard Demyx had fought sharks before… 

“Why the long faces, boys?” someone asked. The twins looked up. 

“Uncle Eraqus?” Sora asked in disbelief. 

“Yes?” Eraqus replied. 

“Why are you here?” Vanitas asked. 

“I’m chaperoning your field trip today. Your parents were all busy, so they asked me to come along.” 

The boys faces brightened. Uncle Eraqus was rather reliable. They could trust him. 

Or could they?


	16. Terbellion: Age - 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Announcement: Next week we will be posting Sunday-Saturday as there is a monster mini-arc that we will be going through. It is a more serious arc, centered on Terra and Aqua and featuring some darker themes including abduction and missing persons, so if you're here for Sora and Vanitas and fluff, fluff, and more fluff you may wish to skip it. This arc will end part 2 of this series, however we will be resuming our normal schedule in the third and final part, The Yakuza XIII's Boys, on 10/31, so you can still look forward to that.  
> Also, be advised that this week's chapter does lead in to next week's arc.  
> Thank you for reading.

When Eraqus looked back on it, he decided the rebelliousness started when Terra wouldn’t let Ventus follow him around anymore. Ventus stubbornly didn’t listen and Terra ended up yelling at him. Despite this, Eraqus understood. Teenagers needed their space and cared a lot for appearances so having his kid brother follow him around everywhere may have felt demeaning. Though his two boys may fight, he was fine with it. As long as they got along afterwards. 

In the end Eraqus found this separation a good thing for Ventus. After being absolutely disconsolate for a few days, Ven was forced to make friends his own age. Eraqus was a little disgruntled that this also meant he hung out with the twins Vanitas and Sora more, but the twins weren’t that bad, even if their parents were gangsters. 

There were other small clues that should have hinted to Eraqus that Terra was reaching his rebellious phase. Such as becoming more petulant when asked to do his regular chores around the house and having a temper that triggered more quickly than before. Terra always had a few things that tended to make him angry, but now it seemed almost anything set him off. 

Even with all these changes, Eraqus could handle it. Yes, it was trying and sometimes he worried he wasn’t doing enough, but overall Eraqus was confident that most of this behavior was a phase and it would pass. So Eraqus relatively peaceably went through Terra’s rebellion, administering discipline when necessary. And Eraqus thought things were fine, until… 

“Terra, that was a jerk move and you know it!” Aqua’s voice drifted in from the driveway- the children must be back from school. Eraqus turned down the burner for the tea and headed towards the front door. He was taking a break from working on a big case and it would be nice to say hello to his children before secluding himself in his office again. 

“I don’t see what the problem is Aqua! It’s not that big of a deal!” Terra argued defensively as he followed Aqua in through the door, almost having it slammed shut in his face before he caught it. 

“Yes it was a big deal Terra! And you should have apologized!” Aqua aggressively kicked off her shoes and slammed her backpack onto the small table near the door. 

Eraqus frowned, he has rarely seen Aqua so angry, and never at Terra. He looked down at Ventus, who had trailed in behind his older siblings. “Do you know what this is about?” 

Before he could even begin to respond Aqua looked sharply over at him “Yes Ven, you should tell Dad what Terra did.” 

Terra immediately turned to face Ven too, “You don’t need to tell him Ven, because it’s not. A. Problem!” Those last words were directed at Aqua. 

As Eraqus’ youngest son was a smart child, he merely looked between his two arguing siblings and responded with “I’m going to work on homework in my room,” then high-tailed it out of there. 

Eraqus sighed and crossed his arms, and gave Terra and Aqua his very best unyielding gaze that had caused many a witness to spout their darkest secrets. He focused on each of the twins in turn, watching them straighten their backs and clack their heels together like they were soldiers lined up for inspection. 

“Terra, tell me what Aqua’s upset about.” Eraqus ordered. 

“But, Dad!” Aqua protested. 

Eraqus looked at Aqua calmly, “Wait your turn Aqua.” Once he had confirmed Aqua would be quiet for now, he turned back to Terra, “Well?” 

“It was nothing, Aqua has nothing to be upset about.” Terra said with false confidence. 

Without missing a beat, Eraqus responded, “Tell me anyway.” 

Terra began to shuffle his feet uncomfortably, “I didn’t do anything, I was just hanging out with friends then Aqua started yelling at me while we were on the bus.” 

Not allowing his expression to change Eraqus responded with an “I see,” then turned to Aqua. “What is your version Aqua?” 

Aqua took a few deep breaths before beginning her side of the story. As she was the most meticulous of Eraqus’ children she provided context to the situation. “Ven and I were waiting for the buses after school and Terra was with some of his friends a little ways off talking about whatever. But whenever a girl walked by they would catcall them. Unless they decided they didn’t like her, then they slung insults her way. The things they said were awful Dad!” 

“I can imagine.” Eraqus took one slow breath. “Was Terra doing this too?” 

Aqua shook her head vigorously. “He wasn’t doing anything! I went to confront his friends to try and make them stop but they just belittled and insulted me! And Terra continued to do nothing! He left me to fend for myself!” 

Eraqus nodded once in understanding and faced Terra again, whose cheeks had become a bright shade of red while Aqua was talking. “Terra? Do you have anything to say for yourself?” 

“I don’t see how me doing nothing is a problem!” Terra burst out, fists clenched. “My friends do that all the time! Everyone knows their joking!” 

“Aqua?” Eraqus asked. 

“They’re not joking Dad. One of the girls started crying.” Aqua stated. 

“Terra?” 

Terra’s shoulders had hunched up “They’re just joking.” He mumbled. 

Eraqus sighed and uncrossed his arms. He wouldn’t get anything else useful out of these two. “Both of you go to your rooms. You are not to leave until I call for you. Understood?” 

Both of them gave their agreement and headed their separate ways, Terra upstairs and Aqua downstairs, hauling their backpacks with them. 

Eraqus returned to the kitchen, took the kettle off the stove and poured himself some tea. Letting the cup cool in his hands, Eraqus considered what he had just been told. He had had suspicions that Terra had begun hanging out with a bad lot, but Eraqus had hoped he was wrong. Perhaps Ven could shed some new light on the subject that would makes things not look as bad, but Eraqus highly doubted it. After a few minutes had passed, Eraqus set down his cup and went to talk to his youngest son. 

Despite his claim that he was going to do homework, Eraqus found Ventus in the entertainment room playing on the Gamegirl Next. When Eraqus asked for an explanation, Ventus merely shrugged and said “Terra kicked me out.” 

Eraqus told Ven to turn it off and sat down on a chair kiddie corner to Ven with a sigh. He rested his chin on top of his clasped hands while Ventus let his feet swing slowly. 

“Am I in trouble?” Ven asked. 

Eraqus sighed, “No, you’re not in trouble. I just want to hear what you think about the events that left Aqua and Terra so upset.” 

“Oh.” Ven stared down at his feet, stopping their swing. “Well, the boys Terra were with were yelling things at people passing by, and Aqua thought they were being mean.” 

“And you?” Eraqus pressed. “Did you think they were being mean?” 

Ventus lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “What they were saying made me uncomfortable.” 

“And what happened after they started saying uncomfortable things?” Eraqus asked. 

“Umm, Aqua went to go make them stop and when she came back she was super mad.” Ven explained. “About halfway through the bus ride she turned around and started shouting at Terra about his friends.” 

“I see.” Eraqus stated. “Did you hear what Aqua and the boys were talking about?” 

Ven shook his head no. “I could only hear them when they were yelling, there was too much other noise.” 

Eraqus stood up and ruffled Ventus’s hair. “Thank you for the input Ventus. I think you can have extra time on video games today.” This caused Ven to smile happily as Eraqus left him to play. 

Eraqus gathered Aqua and Terra into his tea room. Instead of kneeling on one of the pillows piled in a corner, he remained standing and the twins followed his example. 

With his arms crossed, Eraqus stated. “After thinking about it, I have to say that I am disappointed in the actions of both of you.” 

“Both of us!?” his children exclaimed. 

“Indeed.” Eraqus nodded. “Rather than telling you why, I want you both to reflect on your actions first. I expect a list of six things you felt you should have done differently about this situation by suppertime. After we eat we will discuss your lists.” 

Terra clenched and unclenched his fists and Aqua was taking deep breaths. They both wanted to protest but one look into their father’s face and they knew it would be useless. 

After the day was over Eraqus thought things would get better, but instead they became worse. Terra continued to hang out with his friends and even started picking up their bad habits. After throwing a load of laundry in the wash Eraqus walked into the big room to see Aqua slap Terra across the face with Ven staring wide-eyed at the two from where he was putting together a puzzle on the floor. Apparently the twins had been arguing about how Aqua, who had been knitting, was trying to replace their mom Hope. This escalated to the point where Terra accused of Aqua of “being a disappointment to Mom.” which then lead to the slap. Eraqus gave them both what he hoped was an appropriate punishment, but as Terra stormed away he heard him mumble “My friends think she’s tries too hard to be a mom.” 

‘My friends’ had become Terra’s new favorite phrase. When told to take out the garbage he would respond with “My friends don’t have to do that.” When Terra was told he couldn’t go cliff jumping he’d complain that “My friends all get to go.” and so forth. Eraqus tried his best to get Terra to make new friends without being too controlling. When the second semester of their freshman year started Eraqus asked about any new people he met and he tried to encourage Terra to join school activities that his friends were unlikely to be in. Whether Terra knew what Eraqus was trying to do or not, he never made new friends. 

Eraqus and Aqua weren’t the only ones to be on the receiving end of this new attitude, Ven got a part of it too. Up until now, Terra had tended to encourage Ven in whatever he tried, whether that was a new hobby or just his homework and if Terra could, he would try and teach Ven ways to improve. Now Terra would sometimes belittle him and emphasize how he was just a child, if he wasn’t outright ignoring him. Eraqus knew it had gotten bad when he woke up from a nap to find Ventus hovering over him, a serious look on his face. 

“I want my own room.” he stated. 

Eraqus resisted the urge to roll over and fall back asleep and ignore his problems. Ven adored Terra and if he wanted to stop sharing a room with him, then something was clearly wrong. 

“Fine, you can have own room.” Eraqus groaned and sat up, forcing Ven to sit back onto his knees. “Will the guest room work?” 

Without changing his expression, Ven nodded. “That’s fine.” 

Eraqus rubbed his temples. “Then let me talk to Terra and we’ll start moving your things.” 

Ventus's face burst into a grin. But while he may have been pleased with this arrangement, it still wouldn’t solve Eraqus’ problem with Terra. 

Two weeks after Ven moved into his new room Terra was going to have a few of his friends over for spring break. His dislike of Terra’s friends made Eraqus reluctant to let them over but after listening to the teenager beg and plead and argue and bargain, he caved and agreed to them coming over. 

Though Terra swore that he only invited three of his friends, more and more people kept coming the day of the hangout. After the tenth person had arrived Eraqus told Aqua and Ventus to lock any valuables in his office. He then handed Aqua a cellphone and told her to call Sora and Vanitas’ house to see if she and Ven could spend the day and possibly night there and if they couldn’t, call anyone she knew that would possibly let them both stay and he’d call them when they could come back. 

While Aqua was figuring that out, Terra was standing in the kitchen overwhelmed, even more people had arrived while Eraqus was talking to Aqua and were still coming. 

“Dad, what do I do?” he asked in a small voice. 

Eraqus placed a hand on his son’s shoulder and looked him in the eyes. “We simply do the best we can.” Then he glanced around the kitchen. “I’ll start making some snacks. You start making something to drink.” Eraqus stated, opening up cupboards and pulling things out. “Try to keep people from trashing the house too badly. And if anyone gives you trouble, send them to me.” 

While trying to keep the sudden party from getting out of control Eraqus learned some things. First was that this whole fiasco was due to Gaston, who was the high school’s star football player and wrestler. The junior was one of the original people invited by Terra, and he had decided that it meant he could invite whoever he wanted, including a small boy named LeFou who stuck by him the whole time and spouted compliments that inflated Gaston’s oversized ego. 

Second, Gaston had invited a lot of people, and then those people invited others. Eraqus had to put his foot down and tell people they had to leave simply because there wasn’t enough room. He also had to take calls from neighbors where he had to convince them things were under control. 

Third, and Eraqus found this most important, Terra’s ‘friends’ didn’t treat him like one. Terra would offer snacks to his friends, but after taking a bite they would spit it out and accuse him of trying to poison them. Some would start fights or break things then put the blame on Terra. Eraqus tried to help where he could, but there was only so much he could do. Eventually he had enough and spread a rumor that someone had called the police. It was like he had yelled ‘fire!’ One moment Eraqus was pushing past people to get to the kitchen, and the next it was like no one was ever there aside from the huge mess left behind. With a relieved sigh, Eraqus called Terra to help him clean. 

As the two of them were sorting the trash from the big room into piles, Terra let out a quiet “I’m sorry.” 

Eraqus, being distracted by the number of alcohol bottles he was finding despite not seeing anyone drinking them, didn’t catch what Terra had said. “Pardon?” he asked. 

Terra straightened up and faced his father, biting his lower lip. “I’m sorry Dad. I didn’t know so many people would come, and if I had I wouldn’t have invited anyone at all.” 

Eraqus straightened up too and stretched out his back, letting his spine crack. He then turned towards Terra and studied his face carefully. 

“I believe you.” Eraqus said. “And I forgive you.” Eraqus crossed his arms. “But you’re still getting punished.” 

Terra tensed up, expecting the worst. 

“You have to help me clean, with no help from Aqua or Ven, and no video games for a week.” Eraqus stated. 

Terra relaxed and nodded. “Understood.” 

* * *

Even after the party disaster Terra still hung out with Gaston and the others. However, since they no longer were in the same school sport, they saw each other less. Since Terra wasn’t in any extracurricular activities, Eraqus proposed that he join something outside of school. They eventually decided that Terra would start learning martial arts at Xion’s family dojo. With the decreased time with his friends Terra’s attitude seemed to improve and the martial arts training surprisingly helped with Terra’s temper. When summer came around Terra and his friends spent more time together and Terra became hard to handle again. But Eraqus still held a candle of hope because Terra would occasionally come back from hanging with Gaston and company disgruntled and unhappy with his friends instead of constantly defending their actions. 

With this noted improvement Eraqus decided to take a chance and try to talk Terra into cutting ties with his friends. The new school year would be starting soon and it would be best to discuss this before then. When he finally gathered together the courage to talk to his oldest son, the phone rang. 

“I got it!” Ven yelled. Tumbling off the couch in the entertainment room he raced to the kitchen counter where the phone sat and picked up the handle. “Hello?” After a few moments Ventus pulled the phone away from his face and shouted towards the stairs. “Dad! It’s for you!” 

Eraqus stood outside the door to Terra’s room, just a few paces from his own and quickly debated the necessity of answering the phone. With a sigh he called back “Coming!” then headed down the stairs. He picked up the phone where the eight-year old had unceremoniously dropped it on the counter and spoke. “Eraqus speaking. Who is this?” 

To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger.  
> Alternate titles for this chapter included various puns, including but not limited to: T-rubble, Terra-phase, and Terbulence.


	17. Terra's Trials: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you missed the notes last time, we are starting a monster plot arc. The next few chapters will be told alternating between Terra's perspective and Aqua's. There will be some overlap, but not much. Also, things will start slow, but they will hit the fan sooner rather than later.  
> Warning: It won't happen just yet, but this arc will contain themes of missing persons and abduction so please read carefully! You can skip this arc if you wish.

When Terra came down the stairs into the entertainment room, he was starving and hoped supper would be ready soon or that he could snatch a snack without being noticed. 

“Is Dad still on the phone?” He asked Aqua, who was reading a book on self improvement. 

Aqua nodded, “It sounds pretty serious, the caller is from Japan.” 

“Is it Ojii-san and Obaa-san?” Terra questioned; it had been a while since their grandparents had last called. 

“I don’t think so, Dad would have said something if it was.” Aqua answered. “I think it’s another relative.” 

“I thought our other relatives didn’t have a phone that could make international calls.” Terra mentioned. 

Before Aqua could respond to this Eraqus hung up the phone and approached them, calling Ven over from where he was feeding his gerbils in the big room. 

When he had everyone’s attention Eraqus began to explain. “Children, I’m afraid I’ll be leaving for Japan within the next few days. I will be gone for two weeks, if not more.” 

The three children made general exclamations of surprise, curiosity and some dismay. 

“I know this is sudden but one of my relatives is quite ill and has taken a turn for the worse. I have been requested to look after her while the rest of the family is busy harvesting rice.” Eraqus clarified. 

“But what will happen to us while you’re gone?” Aqua inquired, trying to hide her worry. 

Eraqus rubbed at his temples, “I don’t know, but I’ll figure something out before I leave.” 

* * *

A few days later, Terra, Aqua, and Ven found themselves standing outside Vanitas and Sora’s house with packed bags and a father who was being driven to the airport after a final goodbye. The three of them had always been welcome here but Terra hesitated on the driveway. It was one thing to stay a night with their ‘cousins’ but living with them was another thing entirely. Not to mention they had never been away from their father for so long. Aqua and Ven made no move to enter the house either, reluctant for their own reasons, until finally they couldn’t resist Demyx urging them inside. 

Inside the house they each had a turn being assaulted with a hug by Sora who was excitedly chattering about things they could do now that all of them were having a prolonged sleepover. Vanitas followed behind Sora but remained standing to the side, hands pushed roughly into his pockets. While he did like spending time with his ‘cousins’ Vanitas didn’t like the idea of sharing a house with them because it would also mean sharing Sora and his parents. Behind the twins was Roxas. 

Roxas tried to give his niece and nephews a reassuring smile but it came out looking guilty. “You three will all be sharing the extra bedroom I’m afraid. Some of the others weren’t so willing to share a bedroom and I’d rather not force Vexen and Marluxia to be in the same room for an extended period of time. Alternatively we can set up one of our couches for you but you’d have to use a bathroom to change.” The last sentence was directed at Aqua, as she was the one who would be sleeping in the same space as two boys. 

Aqua squeezed the handle of her luggage then gave a jerky nod. “The room will be fine.” 

“Alright, Xaldin is setting up an air mattress so you can bring your stuff up.” Roxas said softly, then looked at Ven. “You can leave Meow down here for now, we’ll figure out where to put his things later.” Meow was the only pet Ventus had brought with him, though technically he was Terra’s cat. The rest were left to their neighbors and Ven periodically visiting them for their care. 

All three of them had slept in the spare bedroom at sometime or other, but it had never before seemed small. The bedroom was larger than any of the ones they had at home, but the air mattress and new furniture made the room seem cramped. Or maybe that was the prospect of having three people in the room for an extended period of time. 

“Sorry about the quality of the furniture.” Roxas apologized. “We scrounged up what we could in such short notice so each of you could have your own dresser and other things you might need.” 

None of the dressers or the added desk matched. One of the dressers was painted bright pink with peeling flower stickers and the desk had several wooden boards under a leg so it could stand straight. The lamp that had been placed on top of the nightstand was a mangled wreck that looked like someone’s failed art project. In one of the corners Xaldin was placing covers onto a lime green air mattress and had given a nod of acknowledgment when they entered. Terra did his best to hide his disappointment; what had he been expecting, a five-star hotel room? He was slightly jealous of Ven, who looked on in fascination. Like Sora, Ventus had come to view this ordeal like a prolonged sleepover. 

Roxas continued awkwardly, “Well, we’ll leave you to organize your stuff.” He then indicated that Xaldin should follow him. 

As Xaldin passed by he clapped Terra on the shoulder and addressed all of them. “You three are welcome for as long as you need and if you require anything, just ask. We will provide anything within reason.” His serious face was a comfort to them. 

When the two parents had left, Terra went and collapsed on the original bed. “This sucks.” he groaned. 

“Don’t be ungrateful.” Aqua admonished, pulling her luggage to the air mattress. It made sense for her brothers to take the larger bed while she took the smaller one. 

Terra rolled onto his back and sat up. “Yeah. I’m real grateful Dad left us behind to go to Japan and we all get to share one bedroom when I had finally gotten my own,” he said sarcastically. 

“Terra!” Aqua scolded. 

Terra sighed, “Sorry, I guess I’m just worried what my friends will think when they find out I’m in a house filled with Yakuza and children.” 

Aqua unzipped her suitcase and started to pull a few things out. “Who cares what your friends think? If they were actually your friends they should support you during this.” 

“We’ve gone over this Aqua, they’re not as bad as you think.” Terra stated. 

Aqua let out a huff. “We have, and I think you’re blinded by the pretty little words they tell you about being popular.” 

Terra clenched his fist. “That’s not true!” 

“I want the one with bunnies on it.” Ven declared loudly. 

“Huh?” Terra and Aqua both turned to face Ventus. 

“I want this one. It has bunnies on it.” He pointed at a sticker placed on the pink dresser. The sticker had faded and Terra could barely even tell it used to be a rabbit. Ven then placed a hand on the larger, darker one. “Terra can have this one because he needs the space for his martial arts stuff. And Aqua can have that one, “ He indicated the dresser that had several words carved into it, “because it has the most drawers, so she can organize everything.” 

Terra let out a small laugh and he heard Aqua chuckle. “Alright Ven.” Terra said. “That sounds good to me.” 

* * *

Despite his initial misgivings at staying with Vanitas and Sora, Terra found himself adjusting easily. Staying here with the Yakuza 13 was similar to all the previous times they came around, only now they had stuff here. Interacting with the adults was more awkward though. Terra couldn’t say why, but all of them seemed to be trying too hard to be pleasing. Usually when he asked where something was he would get a finger point and a grunt of “go get it yourself.” but now they went and got it for him and asked if he’d like a cookie and a trip to the zoo. There were too many times when he had to say something along the lines of “I just needed a pencil, I don’t want a cookie, and I really don’t need a trip to the zoo. Thanks.” 

Three days after Terra, Aqua, and Ventus started living with their cousins, Xemnas showed up in the afternoon with an announcement. 

“Listen up everyone.” Xemnas said once he had gathered everyone over the age of ten within the house at the dining room table, which included Zexion and Luxord. “I have found other accommodations for Aqua and Terra.” 

“Wait, seriously?” Terra asked. 

Xemnas nodded. “Indeed, instead of sleeping here, you will be using someone else’s extra beds.” 

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Zexion inquired. “Eraqus did entrust them to us specifically.” 

Xemnas waved Zexion’s concern away. “It’s fine. I’m not kicking them out, merely arranging things so they don’t have to all share one bedroom. I have been informed that teenagers need their own space and so I am providing it. They can spend all the time here they want, they will simply be sleeping somewhere else.” He explained. 

“Whatever you say boss.” Zexion muttered. 

“And when are they supposed to start staying at these new places?” Luxord queried. 

“Tonight.” Xemnas answered, then handed both Luxord and Zexion small pieces of paper with addresses on them. “You are to drop them off at these locations when you’re replaced for the night. You are all dismissed.” 

“Whoa, whoa!” Terra said frantically. “Don’t we get a say in this?” Aqua, who was biting her lip, nodded in agreement. 

Xemnas blinked in surprise, “I suppose so. Do you have a problem getting your own space?” 

“Uh, I guess not.” Terra stuttered then looked at Aqua, who would know what kind of things to ask in this situation. 

Aqua noticed the look and spoke up. “Who are we going to be staying with?” She questioned. 

“You will be staying with two different associates of mine that have proven to be trustworthy.” Xemnas replied. 

Aqua’s eyes widened and she brought her hand up to her heart. “You mean other Yakuza?” 

Xemnas narrowed his eyes. “Eraqus would kill me, so no. You will be staying with people who are not Yakuza, or gangsters, or thugs, or anything of that sort.” 

Aqua worried at her lip for a bit before answering. “Alright. It would be nice not to share a room anymore. And if we can still see each other I won’t be too worried.” 

With a nod, Xemnas stood up. “It’s settled then, I will call them and let them know when you will be arriving.” He stated, then swept out of the house. Xemnas, Terra had learned, spent as little time as possible in Yakuza 13’s shared house. Luxord and Zexion left the room after Xemnas to check on the twins and to figure out directions to the places they were supposed to take Aqua and Terra. 

Terra ran a hand through his hair, “I guess we need to tell Ven.” 

“Right.” Aqua bit her lip again. “You don’t think he’ll miss us too much, will he?” 

“He’ll be fine.” Terra gave Aqua a small reassuring smile. “School starts in a couple days so we wouldn’t be around as much anyways. And if we can stick around here afterwards he won’t have time to miss us.” 

Aqua nodded. “I guess you’re right.” 

Ven took the information like a champ. At first he was distressed at the idea of his siblings also leaving, but calmed down when he realized they would still be nearby. Terra and Aqua then went upstairs to pack their stuff for their new place of residence. 

For supper Luxord made steak and potatoes and Terra oddly felt like it was his last meal. He felt unnerved by the idea of staying with a stranger. This was different then when their Dad left them with Yakuza 13. When Aqua had informed him where they’d be staying he had just felt angry that his Dad was leaving them behind with children and thugs, but now he had no idea what to expect. Who would Uncle Xemnas find trustworthy enough to take care of his cousins? 

Once Saix and Axel had arrived for their turn with the twins, Aqua and Terra said goodbye to Ven, Vanitas, and Sora and got into Zexion’s and Luxord’s cars respectively. Terra had never been in Luxord’s car before. It was a tiny two seater with a clutter of junk behind the seats and a cross hanging from the rearview mirror. 

“I thought you were an atheist.” Terra said. 

“I am. But reminders are always pleasant.” Luxord replied and pulled out of the driveway. Terra decided it was better not to ask what Luxord meant by ‘reminder.’ 

When forty minutes of driving had passed they entered a clearly wealthy neighborhood. The lawns had rolling green grass with well manicured flowerbeds and towering trees that somehow managed to be artful. The houses were huge manors that reminded Terra of castles. There were also old victorian homes that must cost a fortune in upkeep. If Terra stayed in one of these houses he could probably use a different bathroom for each day of the week, if not two. 

Terra was busy staring out the window and didn’t notice something was amiss with Luxord until he heard him mumble. “I knew the address seemed familiar, but I didn’t think he’d send you to her.” 

Turning to look at Luxord, Terra saw saw him grip the steering hard enough his knuckles turned white and his jaw tighten. “Is something wrong?” Terra asked. 

“Xemnas has you staying with Maleficent.” Luxord intoned. 

“Who is she?” Terra said in confusion. 

Luxord glanced at Terra out of the corner of his eye. “She owns a string of very successful casinos, her most popular one is known as ‘Enchanted.’” 

Terra’s eyes went wide. “Dad says the police have been trying to prove that place has been running illegally for years, but they’ve never found anything.” 

“And they never will.” Luxord replied. “The casino itself is run perfectly legally, it’s just the things that go on under the table that are unsavory.” 

“But Xemnas said he wouldn’t have us stay with any Yakuza.” Terra questioned. 

“And she’s not. You won’t find Maleficent in connection with anything outside of the law, but she somehow always gets a cut of the illegal deals that go on inside her casinos. Even we can’t figure it out.” 

Terra let out a low whistle. “She must be quite fearsome.” 

“Listen to me Terra.” Luxord turned his head and locked his gaze with Terra’s, making sure he had the teen’s undivided attention before returning his eyes to the road. “I’m not telling you this for fun. I’m telling you this for your own good. Don’t mess with Maleficent. I know you and your old man haven’t been getting along, but don’t pull any of that teenage rebelliousness on Maleficent. Xemnas knows her best and so if he says you’re fine with her then you should be safe, but I have no idea how the odds will change if you get on her bad side. So keep your head down and be on your best behavior. Got it?” 

Terra nodded seriously. “Got it.” 

Just then Luxord pulled up next to a gate. He rolled down his window and leaned out to chat with someone through an intercom. When he was done he leaned back in and the gate started to open. 

Luxord starting driving again and once they had been moving for several minutes he spoke up. “I would introduce you.” He said. “But Maleficent hates me so you’d only be starting off at a low point with her. You’ll have to go in by yourself.” 

As they went around a copse of old gnarled oak trees the manor appeared and Terra couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The manor was completely black. From the rooftops, to the window casings, to the walls and even the stairs that led up to a large set of black doors. There was also many imposing towers that looked like they were reaching up to try and pierce the heavens. Along a few of the walls were portcullises with vines climbing them that were so dark Terra would have mistaken them for black if they weren’t next to the manor. The only sense of life that came from the place were lights that shined from a few of the windows. Overall Terra found it an imposing sight. 

Luxord let out a strained chuckle. “She’s always one for strong first impressions.” He pulled in front of the stairs and parked the car. As Terra got out of the car to grab his stuff from the trunk, he spoke up again. “Oh, and another thing.” Terra had to bend down so he could see Luxord speaking. “Maleficent has a son named Pete. He’s not nearly as clever as she is, but is a troublemaker all the same. It’s probably best if you avoid him. Call if you feel you ever need help.” 

“Alright.” Terra nodded then straightened up. He went around to the back of Luxord’s car and pulled out his army duffel bag that he had got from some relative or other and slung it across his shoulder then slammed the trunk down. Terra waved to Luxord as he started up the steps and Luxord waved back, waiting until Terra reached the door before leaving. 

At the door Terra searched for a doorbell or a knocker that he could use but he couldn’t find anything, unless it was hidden somewhere in the carved wood. Finally, he gave up and raised his fist to knock. As he did so one of the doors opened inward just enough for him to slip through. Inside a butler with a large beak-like nose and a neatly pressed suit coat was waiting for him. 

“You must be Mr. Terra.” He said, giving him a small bow. 

“Uh, yes. That’s me.” Terra stuttered. 

“My Lady Maleficent has been expecting you. I will guide you to the waiting room where Madame will meet you to give you a tour of her dominion. Follow me.” With that he made a snappy about-face and strode purposefully away. 

“Right, yes.” Terra responded and did his best to keep up with the man’s long strides. He felt completely out of his element here. His father had taught him manners but he had no idea how to function in high society. How was he supposed to treat a butler? Was he supposed to tip? Not to mention this entry room was huge and filled with enough expensive things that Aunt Larxene would have a field day. The dark woods of the floors and paneled walls were lit by one gigantic crystal chandelier and accented by bright oil paintings and red vases that were probably each worth more than his eventual college tuition. 

Terra was so busy staring as he walked that he almost missed the man opening a hidden door and rushed through to catch up. On the other side the butler was waiting, hands behind his back and face expressionless. “Are you ready sir?” He asked. 

“Yes.” Terra said, feeling embarrassed and not really understanding why. 

“Very well.” The butler responded and continued to walk. 

This time Terra made sure to follow the butler more closely, though it was easier because they seemed to be going through a servant's’ hallway and there was very little to distract him. They took several turns and exited through a doorway that looked the same as all the previous ones they passed. The room they entered was more the size Terra was used to but the couches and chairs were the poofiest he had ever seen, with cushions that had been plumped mercilessly and dozens of pillows scattered across the sitting area. 

“You will be waiting here” The butler stated. “Now if I may have your luggage. I will take it to the room where you will be staying.” 

Terra clutched onto the strap of his bag tighter. It was all he had with him and he was afraid that if he handed it over, he’d never get it back. But remembering Luxord’s advice, he reluctantly slung the duffel off his shoulder and dug around for the cell phone his Dad had given him and shoved it in his sweatshirt pocket before handing the bag over. 

The butler took it with a nod, said “Excellent. My Lady will be with you shortly,” then left through another hidden door. Terra hoped he wouldn’t be expected to go through the servant’s hallway while he was here, he’d be stuck in one room just trying to find the door. 

Glancing around the room again Terra decided to sit on the couch that was closest to the coffee table, it also had the advantage of allowing him to face the one normal door in the room so he could see when Maleficent entered. On the coffee table were several books for people to look at but Terra was too nervous to concentrate on a book and after reading the titles they were immediately wiped from his mind. Instead his gaze bounced from object to object, from a pillow with a purple crocheted cover to a tapestry depicting a unicorn hunt to a tiny burn in the rug next to his feet. Enough time passed that Terra felt like he could navigate the room blind when the door opened and revealed Maleficent. 

“Ah, you must be Terra.” She murmured, letting the door swing shut behind her. 

Terra jolted up from the couch and went into attention. “Yes ma’am, that’s me.” He spilled out. 

Maleficent’s lips twitched upwards into a self-satisfied smile, as if pleased with her deduction. “I am Maleficent. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” 

Hands flat at his sides, Terra made a bow. “It’s an honor to meet you.” 

A hand rose delicately up to Maleficent’s chin as she spoke “My, what a polite boy you are. But come, let us get started.” Her other hand motioned that Terra should follow her. 

Flustered, Terra took a step forward right into the coffee table. Holding back a curse, Terra just barely managed to catch himself before he face planted into the glass. Maleficent looked on in amusement as Terra straightened up and started to rub his bruised shin. 

“Are you well?” She asked, not sounding overly concerned. 

Terra let out a strained smile. “I’m fine.” 

“Then let us be going.” 

This time Terra remembered to walk around the furniture as he exited the room with Maleficent. 

“Let us begin.” Maleficent said once Terra was standing next to her in the hall. “We will be working our way from the first floor up and are currently standing in the west wing hallway.” 

Terra tuned out most of the tour. It turns out that once you’ve seen one overdone room you’ve seen them all. Instead Terra focused enough to make sure he wouldn’t get lost and making sure he knew where the bathrooms and kitchen were, even if meals would be delivered to him. The rest of the time he spent studying his host. 

Maleficent was tall and imposing. She was over a foot and a half taller than Terra and her straight black hair was in a updo that added a few inches to her height, though Terra had to stare at her head for a while to realize that was hair and not horns. The black dress and large shawl that she wore were loose and flowing as to hide her figure completely. 

Regardless of Luxord’s warnings Terra thought Maleficent was nice enough. She had at least fifty different servants and had elected to escort Terra herself through her home. The tour wasn’t just a quick “and these are such-and -such rooms.” Maleficent took her time so Terra could stop and look around, often giving tidbits of the history behind whatever had caught his interest. She also made sure that Terra could find his way to the more important rooms by telling him surprisingly helpful hints on how to orient himself within the manor. 

“And this is the last stop.” Maleficent announced. “Your bedroom during your stay here.” She then turned the knob and opened the door. 

“I do hope you like it.” Maleficent declared. “Though we do have other rooms if you would prefer.” 

“No, it’s perfect. Thank you.” Terra responded sincerely. Unlike the rest of the manor that reminded Terra of Old England and tended towards dark and dreary this room was modern and well-lit. The bed was huge and looked extremely soft, the floor was covered in a plush blue carpet and there were lightly-stained wood furniture. There was even a computer! 

Maleficent had on her self-satisfied smile again. “Very good, but there is one more thing.” 

Terra closed his jaw and looked at Maleficent. “What is it?” He asked. 

Maleficent’s face became serious. “You’ll have noticed that most of my tour has been through the west wing of the house.” Terra hadn’t but he nodded anyway, letting Maleficent continue. “That is because the west wing is for guests. The east wing is for my family and private business. I strongly request that you do not venture there unless under the direst of circumstances.” 

Terra nodded again. “I understand. I’ll be sure to stay within the west wing.” 

There was her smile again, “Good boy, I’m sure you won’t be any trouble. Now if you excuse me, I have some business to attend to.” 

Terra was unsure what kind of business Maleficent could have so late at night, but decided it was best not to question it, and let her be. 

When Maleficent was gone, Terra turned back to look at the room. His duffel bag had been neatly placed on the end of the bed. He headed towards the bed and unzipped his duffel and began to unpack. Or he was about too, after he opened the bag he stared at his clothes inside in confusion. He was absolutely certain that his shirts had been arranged at the top in chromatic order. Aqua had put them in there after complaining that he was packing them wrong- she could be a neat freak like that- but there it was as plain as day. A red shirt and a green one had been switched in the rainbow that was his bag. Terra stood there deliberating a bit, but then shrugged and started putting his clothes away in the wardrobe. It wasn’t entirely impossible that things had gotten mixed up on the way over here, and Aqua was capable of mistakes. By the time Terra slipped between the covers of the bed for the night, he had forgotten all about it.


	18. Aqua Alone: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: From next chapter on, the mentioned missing persons and abduction themes will kick in. Please read carefully, your mental well-being is important!

Aqua hesitated before knocking on the door. It was an unspoken rule that one didn’t intrude on their dad when he was in his office, but he’d been making phone calls for nearly an hour now, and Aqua was getting worried. Terra and Ven were too, but Terra was too stubborn to admit it and Ven was too scared to approach the office, so that left Aqua to shoulder the responsibility of asking the difficult questions. 

“Come in,” Eraqus’s voice came from beyond the door. Aqua entered the office and knelt, since there was only the one chair and Eraqus was already seated there, leaning back and kneading his forehead in a manner that made him resemble Uncle (cousin really) Xemnas. It was a bit odd, since although the two were related, Aqua wasn’t accustomed to thinking of them as similar. But in that moment, Aqua saw the blood ties between the two men, and could even understand why some people said Terra looked a bit like Xemnas had when he was younger. 

Eraqus didn’t speak, so Aqua bit the bullet and asked the burning question. 

“Have you finished making arrangements yet?” 

“They are less than ideal, but yes.” 

Eraqus didn’t supply any more information, so Aqua made a guess. 

“Are we staying with Uncle Roxas then?” 

“Unfortunately, no. Xion’s sister Mulan is getting married in a month, and her fiance’s family didn’t want to be left out of the wedding planning, so they’ve already started coming from China. Not everyone can stay at the dojo, so Roxas and Xion are helping to manage the overflow.” 

“Ah,” Aqua said in a small voice. She knew Aunt Xion’s sister a little, and her fiance Shang as well. That they were getting married was good news, though under the circumstances it didn’t seem that way. 

“Roxas did suggest I talk to the others, but they all have reasons why their homes are no good either,” Eraqus said drily. “The others” could only mean the 12 other leaders of the Yakuza 13. They may have been “aunt” and “uncle” to Aqua and her brothers, but that was to be polite, and the thought of staying with any of them did set her heart to pounding in fear. Just because they could be good parents to Sora and Vanitas didn’t change the fact that they were a bunch of gangsters and thugs. 

“So it’s been decided that you will be staying with your cousins,” Eraqus finished. 

“I see. That will be… nice,” Aqua said, trying to be cheerful. She loved the twins, but living with them was… well it meant being around their no-good parents for one. Terra didn’t need MORE bad influences around him. Just hanging around Gaston had done enough. And even if he didn’t mean anything by it, Vanitas could be a little mean at times to Ven. And her period was due in about a week. It had been humiliating enough having to explain that to her brothers, and now she’d have to explain it to the boys as well, and all their parents would probably notice too and it would just be so embarrassing, and there would be such a lack of privacy. Though maybe they’d give her her own room since she was a girl? Well, whatever, she’d just have to make do. 

Despite her attempts to hide her distress from him, Eraqus noticed his daughter’s ill feelings. 

“Perhaps I should try talking to…” he began, and Aqua hurriedly cut him off. 

“It’ll be fine dad. Don’t worry. It’ll be good to spend some time with the boys.” Aqua silently cursed herself. Over the years, she’d gotten good at hiding any negative emotions from her dad. He had enough to worry about, between having the Yakuza 13 as clients and being a single dad and whatnot. Having unhappy children was a stress that he didn’t need. She had no control over Terra and Ven’s emotions, and didn’t presume to tell them what they could and couldn’t feel, but she could do her part and keep things to herself as a way to help her dad. She couldn’t make up for her mom, but she could at least be responsible and cheerful and that way be less of a burden to her dad. 

When Eraqus didn’t respond, Aqua decided the conversation was over. She excused herself and braced for the task of telling her brothers. Ven would be okay. He’d probably even look at it with a positive spin. Maybe. Though even Ven’s optimism probably wouldn’t help right now. 

Ven surprised Aqua however. 

“We’re staying with Sora and Vanitas?” he asked, his eyes like saucers. 

“I thought you liked our cousins,” Aqua said, puzzled. 

“Well, yeah, but Vanitas picks on me.” 

“I’m sure he doesn’t mean it,” Aqua said, sounding unconvincing even to herself. 

“Maybe not, but I still don’t like it,” Ven replied. 

“Well maybe he only picks on you because he rarely sees you, and so since you’ll be seeing each other all the time he’ll leave you alone?” Even without the look Ven gave her, it sounded pretty ridiculous. 

“Look, I’ll talk to him. All their parents say he listens to me, so maybe it’ll help.” 

Ven sighed, but then smiled and got out a notepad. As Aqua left him, she noticed he’d written across the top “things to do with Sora and Vanitas”. Yeah, Ven would be okay. 

As Aqua headed up the stairs to Terra’s room, she realized she should’ve started with him. She was not looking forward to this. She and Terra weren’t so close as their cousins even though they too were twins, but they’d always at least been a team. They were their own people with their own interests, but they always worked together to make things easier for their dad and to be there for Ven. They both agreed that it was really unfair, the way they’d gotten five and a half years with their mom, yet Ven hadn’t even gotten a day. But nowadays Terra hung out with that pig Gaston and his lot, and Terra was becoming just as bad as any of them. She couldn’t stand him these days. 

Aqua reached Terra’s door, and knocked. 

“I’m not here, and there’s no room for more messages so just go away without making my life more miserable,” Terra called. Aqua bit back a remark about his attitude. Even though that would be her dad’s influence on her showing, Terra would probably find it as an excuse to make another catty remark about her trying to be their mother. 

“I found out where we’ll be staying,” Aqua called back. “Though since me telling you things makes you miserable I guess you just won’t know until we get there.” 

It was a good thing the door opened inward, as Terra opened it so abruptly that it would have hit her in the face had it swung the other direction. 

“I’m listening.” 

Aqua thought about holding on to her advantage and maybe trying to get a favor or two out of Terra. But she didn’t really trust him to hold his promises these days, and also that was just the kind of thing Terra would do and she hated it when he did so it really wouldn’t be right to do it to him. Even if it did feel justified and a bit like karmic vengeance giving him a taste of his own medicine. 

“We’re going to be staying at Sora and Vanny’s.” 

“You have got to be kidding me. Sora and Van’s? I’ll be a mockery! My friends already think I’m a loser for spending so much time around a kid like Ven and a girl like-” Terra caught himself. As his rebellion had gotten worse, he’d learned to watch what he said around his sister, just as she’d learned to watch what she said around him. “This totally bites,” Terra muttered instead. 

“Well there’s nowhere else.” 

“Ugh. Whatever. Just so you know, I am not sharing with Sora or Van. Especially not Van. He might wet the bed.” 

“It’ll be fine,” Aqua said brightly. 

“Whatever. Get out.” Aqua left rather than point out that since he’d never let her into his room in the first place, she wasn’t really getting out. 

* * *

Aqua managed not to cry when they said their goodbyes. It wasn’t easy, but she didn’t want to find out what Terra would say, and she was worried it would upset Ven even more, and she didn’t want Sora and Vanitas to think she didn’t like them, and also she didn’t want any of the Yakuza 13 to see her being weak. So she did a few mental exercises she’d read about, and kept the tears at bay. 

The situation was far from ideal. She was crammed on an air mattress in a room with her brothers. There was only one desk, which was a problem. She didn’t really mind doing her homework at the kitchen table at home, but here the twins might try to talk to her, or one of their parents might cause some sort of disaster since that seemed to be their specialty. How was she supposed to do her homework once school started if her options were to sit at a table where someone might end up bleeding all over it or fight her brothers for the desk? 

Aqua didn’t want to unpack since she didn’t want to be here for any length of time, but their stay was inevitable, so she went ahead and began placing things in the drawers. She had barely finished when Larxene knocked at the door. 

“Hey guys, welcome to the house and all, even though you’ve been here a bunch of times. Anyways, who cares. I need to borrow Aqua for a bit.” 

Terra grunted. Ven looked at his brother nervously before stating that he was going to go play with Meow, and sidled past Larxene before escaping. Aqua got to her feet slowly, confused. What did Larxene need her for? Nothing illegal, she hoped. 

As soon as they got into the hallway, Larxene took Aqua by the shoulders and looked her over. 

“Okay. So. We have a lot to do, and not nearly enough time to do it in, which is why I have taken the afternoon off to come here early all for your sake. No need to be conservative with your gratitude.” Larxene finally paused long enough for Aqua to speak, her hand at her chest and an expectant look on her face. 

“Um, sorry, but what exactly are we doing?” Aqua asked. She was afraid of the answer. 

“Ugh. You’re not going to be all butch like Xion, are you? I’ve been waiting for years to have some quality girl time with a female who actually has two of those little x gene thingies that are fully functional. And now you’re here. So. You and me, we’re having a spa day. I’ve got everything we’ll need. Face masks, cucumber slices, a nail kit and polish, tweezers, you name it. And we can have girl talk where you will tell me all about your romantic exploits, and it’ll be fun. Like, actual fun. Not Axel setting things on fire or Vexen playing mad scientist or Xion throwing around sandbags fun. Now am I, or am I not, the best aunt ever?” 

Aqua blinked. Spa day? What on Earth? It would be weird even if she hadn’t just been uprooted. She’d never spent any time with Larxene before, and she didn’t see any reason to start now. But she also didn’t see how she could refuse. 

Thus Aqua was treated to a shoulder rub, aroma therapy, a bath with bath salts, a face mask, a manicure, and a lengthy lecture that went from nail care to hand care to foot care to general skin care to hair care, because according to Larxene, she was doing everything wrong. 

* * *

The next couple of days were weird to Aqua. There was Lexaeus trying to coax them all into baking cookies together, and then later when he saw Aqua’s knitting project, he spent nearly half an hour offering to help and asking her did she know this stitch and had she ever tried cabling and did she have any other projects lined up and would she like to borrow some patterns. It was rather disconcerting, and only got worse when Lexaeus pulled out a crochet hook and a half made animal and started working on it. Then there was Marluxia, insisting on putting a bouquet of flowers in their room, which might not have been so weird had it not been accompanied by reassurances that none of the flowers were poisonous. And then Vexen had to know their favorite meals and he cooked them all on the same night, and Luxord was offering to teach them how to play poker. It wasn’t that they were rude or unwelcoming, it was just… it wasn’t how Aqua expected a bunch of Yakuza thugs to act. Not to mention it was completely new behavior for them. 

When the news of new accommodations came, it made Aqua nervous. Sure, she wanted some privacy and all, but she’d never really been on her own before. It was bad enough not having her dad around, but now she, her dad, Terra, and Ven would all be in different places and that had never happened before. 

To top things off, the person driving her to wherever she was staying was Zexion. She could count on one hand the number of times she’d heard him speak: “Dinnertime,” “I’m reading,” and once a shout of “Luxord, I told you not to use my computer to look at porn!” He was more a presence than a person. An ominous presence. At least the worst Luxord ever did was insist that she must be cold and needed to put on a jacket if she wore anything that bared her shoulders at all. 

The car ride was extremely uncomfortable. There was no music, and Aqua didn’t feel like she could ask to turn the stereo on. They rode in silence, with Aqua staring out the window as they drove into the city proper. The street lights flashing past made her feel even more abandoned and alone. 

They pulled into a parking lot, and Aqua was treated to a view of a neon sign that said Fantasy. Was it a hotel maybe? Why would she be staying at a hotel? And Fantasy was an odd name for a hotel. 

“He has got to be kidding.” Aqua nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the voice. In the driver’s seat, Zexion was looking at the sign with distaste. 

“I-is something wrong?” she asked, and Zexion looked just as surprised to hear her speak. He blinked a few times, as if trying to remember who she was and why she was in his car. 

“That remains to be seen,” he said, and then got out of the car. “Leave your things,” he called as he strode forward. Aqua complied, and hurried to follow. 

Zexion led the way around the side of the building to a door at the back, and ushered her inside. Aqua could hear the sound of many people down the hall, but Zexion ducked through a door and she followed him into a fog of noxious smoke that made her cough. 

“Who’s there!” a man’s voice barked, followed by a small thud and an “oof.” 

“Aqua, leave the door open,” Zexion’s voice said from somewhere ahead, and she complied. As the smoke thinned she saw a dingy office, and behind the desk was a stocky man getting to his feet and snuffing out a cigar. 

“Didn’t expect you here so soon. Xemnas said you couldn’t leave until 8.” 

“It’s 8:37,” Zexion said coldly. 

“Wha-? So it is. Huh. Those darn business sums must have taken longer than I thought. I just can’t seem to add up-” Zexion snatched up the papers that were on the desk and scanned them. 

“You misplaced the four right here, this should be a three, not a two, I’m not even sure how you got these numbers here, honestly Cid, did no one ever teach you basic arithmetic?” 

“Sure they did. But I’m gettin’ old.” 

“Xaldin is older and he does all our bookkeeping. And he does a much better job of it. If you showed him this, he’d offer you to Xigbar for target practice since you’d be more useful that way.” 

“This is why I hate dealing with you 13 types,” Cid muttered. 

“Did you say something?” Zexion asked evenly. Cid sighed. 

“Alright. C’mon girl. I’ll go get your roommate and she can get you settled in,” he said, addressing Aqua. Before she could say anything however, Zexion planted a hand on Cid’s desk. 

“About that,” he said, his voice dripping with an announcement that they had better listen to him or else they might not see the light of day again. If Aqua had been uneasy around him before, she was probably mildly terrified of him now. “What on Earth makes you and Xemnas think that this is a good place for Eraqus’s daughter to be staying? Bad enough that it’s such a disreputable establishment, but one run by you lot? She cannot stay here.” 

“How is this place disreputable?” Cid demanded angrily. 

“It’s a den of iniquity.” 

“It’s a host club!” 

“It’s a glorified brothel, and she is underage! This is illegal!” Aqua did not point out the contradiction of a Yakuza 13 leader protesting something because it was illegal. “And besides, do you really think her father would want her around you lot?” 

“What’s all this ‘you lot’ talk about? You got something to say, lap dog?” 

Aqua was wondering how to stop the two men from getting into a fight when all of a sudden a girl came skipping in. 

“Ciiiiiiid,” the newcomer called. “Seifer scared Vivi again and we can’t get him out of the closet.” She turned to Aqua, and smiled brightly. “Oh, hello. You must be Aqua. I’m Yuffie. Nice to meet you!” She thrust a hand at Aqua, who tentatively took it. Zexion and Cid were still glaring at each other, but their postures were a little more relaxed. 

“Look, kiddo. You may not think it’s a good idea, but your boss is the one who made the decision. Take it up with him.” Zexion folded his arms but looked away. 

“Fine. Aqua, let’s go get your things.” He stormed out of the office, not checking to see if Aqua followed. Not that she had much of a choice at the moment. 

Aqua excused herself because that was what she had been taught, and scurried after him. About halfway to the car, Zexion stopped suddenly and whirled to face her. Aqua almost ran into him. 

“Look, I don’t know these people too well since Demyx is the one who usually deals with them, but they’re… they aren’t the most trustworthy if you ask me. I’m not convinced you’ll be safe here.” He went silent but didn’t move. Aqua wondered if he was waiting for a response, but had no idea what to say. 

“Eraqus gave you a cell phone before leaving, correct?” Zexion asked abruptly. It startled Aqua, the way he jerked in and out of speech like she and Terra in their first driving lesson. 

“Yeah. He did. How did you know?” 

“Logic. He asked me about cell phone models and I heard him discussing family phone plans with Roxas. May I see it?” 

“I-it’s in my backpack.” Eraqus had told her and Terra to keep the phones with them in case of emergency, but it was hard to get used to carrying it. And besides, she’d lived this long without a phone and been fine. 

“Right.” Zexion turned and resumed the walk to the car just as suddenly as he’d stopped, and Aqua had to trot to catch up. Jerky movements seemed to be a thing with this guy. No wonder she’d heard Luxord call him a robot. 

At the car Aqua pulled her phone out of her backpack and handed it over. As Zexion did something with the phone, she put on the backpack and got her suitcase from the back. As she extended the handle, Zexion handed her phone back. 

“I’ve added my number to your contacts. If you feel threatened, call me.” 

“Um, thank you,” Aqua said, though privately she thought that he was far more threatening than either Cid or Yuffie. 

They returned to the Cid’s office, where Cid and Yuffie had been joined by another young woman who introduced herself as Aerith. Zexion bade Aqua a curt farewell and left, and then Cid shooed them out of the office so he could work. 

“Is your dad suicidal?” Aqua found the words popping out of her mouth before she could stop herself. But she really did wonder that, since Cid had stood up to a leader of the Yakuza 13. 

“Huh? Oh, you mean Cid? He’s no one’s dad. He’s our guardian and our boss, though Yuffie and some of the others are too young to work just yet. I only just started recently myself, which I guess is a good thing because it’s easier for me to get away to show you around since I don’t have a lot of customers yet,” Aerith said with a self-depreciating laugh. 

“Don’t worry, Aerith. I’m sure you’ll be popular in no time,” Yuffie said, then opened a door and scampered up the stairwell beyond. 

“Anyways, I wouldn’t say he’s suicidal, but I suppose he does take a lot of risks. I mean, making a bargain with the Yakuza 13… but he did that for us, so I can’t fault him for it.” 

Aerith led the way up the stairs, helping Aqua with the suitcase. She was rather strong despite her delicate looks. At the top of the stairs was another hallway, the walls decorated with childish drawings and broken up by numerous doors. There was a small crowd outside one of the rooms, including Yuffie, a trio of kids who looked to be roughly around Ven’s age, and a gawky youth whose face and proportions looked to be that of a high schooler’s but whose height made him look older. The youth noticed their approach first. 

“Aerith, finally. Fuujin’s been trying to use your voice but Vivi still won’t- holy cow! Did Cid finally find a new girl? Though what’s she doing up here? Is she going to live here?” 

“Zack, that’s Aqua. Cid said she’d gonna be staying for a while, remember?” Yuffie said. Zack folded his arms and thought for a moment. 

“Nope, can’t say I do. Well, you’d better be careful Aerith. With two new girls they’ll probably go for the prettier one, and I’d say she’s got you beat. She definitely has more of a chest than you.” 

Yuffie put a palm to her face and shook her head, muttering “Idiot!” 

“Aqua’s not going to be working here. She’s just staying here while Eraqus is out of town. He’s her dad, Zack,” Aerith said. Zack did a comedic double take, even reaching across his chest with one arm, holding the other above his head, and lifting a leg so that he looked like a cartoon. His face also turned lobster red, and he stammered something about needing to brush his shirt. As he hightailed it into one of the rooms, Aerith sighed. 

“Don’t mind Zack. He’s…” 

“An idiot?” Yuffie suggested. 

“He marches to the beat of a different drummer,” Aerith said. “Now, why don’t you three come say hi to Aqua?” 

The trio of kids came over. The two boys introduced themselves as Seifer and Rai. Aerith told her Rai was short for Raijin, before introducing the girl as Fuujin, or Fuu, and explaining that Fuujin was shy and also didn’t like to talk much. 

Next Aerith showed Aqua to a small room with two beds. 

“This is ours. Sorry you have to share, but we don’t have a lot of room, I’m afraid. But Mr. Xemnas said that you were sharing a room with your two brothers, and we figured that if you had to share, it’d be better if you were sharing with another girl than with two boys. We also would have offered your brothers a place to stay, but the only other spare bed is in Vivi’s room, and he’s even more shy than Fuujin. I doubt you’ll see him for a few days since he spends most of his time hiding, poor guy.” 

Despite the room being smaller than the one back at Sora and Vanitas’s house, it felt bigger. Probably because there weren’t three dressers crammed in. There was a single dresser, though Aerith had emptied out some drawers for Aqua. There wasn’t any desk, though Aerith showed her a room at the end of the hall that had a table she would be able to do her homework at. It was clearly akin to a den since there were also a couple of couches with worn cushions and a TV, but even if it was less than ideal it still seemed better than a kitchen table with the Yakuza 13. 

Aerith then showed Aqua the bathrooms. According to Aerith, it was really important to lock the door in the bathroom, though she declined to go into details. Next was a brief tour of the lower story, pointing out Cid’s office which was also his bedroom, the wardrobe room, the kitchen, and the main floor. Aerith explained that no one under 18 was allowed on the floor during business hours, so they didn’t see the actual room, but she told Aqua that it was a great place for a meal during the day. 

While Aerith said that there were more people who lived there that Aqua could meet if she stayed up until 11:30 or so, Aqua was feeling rather drained by the events of the day. Since she’d woken up this morning she had gotten the news that she and her brothers would all be separated, had had to pack, had been stuck in a car for 20 or so minutes with a person who she was extremely uneasy with, had witnessed what had almost been a fight between a Yakuza 13 leader and a host club owner, and had been introduced to a bunch of different strangers who she was expected to live with for the time being and shown around a completely unfamiliar place. It was a lot to take in, and Aqua would rather get some sleep before meeting even more new people. 

* * *

The next morning was the last day of summer vacation. Aqua rose early, trying to plan for the longer commute to school she would now have and attempting to adjust when she woke up accordingly. There would be some early mornings from now on. She wondered if she was old enough to start drinking coffee yet, and tried to remember if there had been a coffee maker in the kitchen. She’d better ask though. Even her father, who tried his best to encourage his children in all endeavors, said that the only things she could make in the kitchen were tea and a mess. She even had trouble with the rice cooker. 

Aerith was still fast asleep, so Aqua quietly went down the hall to the bathroom and changed. She thought about taking a shower just to bide time since no one else seemed to be up, but she worried the shower might wake them. Instead, she went downstairs and found her way into the kitchen, hoping to scrounge up a breakfast and wishing Aerith had shown her the insides of the cupboards so she wouldn’t have to go through all of them to find things. 

She was in luck, of a sort. There was someone in the kitchen when she arrived. A woman, clad in black, was moodily poking the contents of a pot with a wooden spoon. 

“Er- good morning,” Aqua greeted hesitantly. “Um, nice to meet you. I’m Aqua.” 

“Paine,” the woman said. Aqua wondered if this was a comment on her, or if the woman had a hangover headache and was asking for some aspirin. “My name,” the woman added testily after a moment. 

“Oh. So you’re Paine. Nice to meet you.” 

“You said that already.” Aqua didn’t know how to respond. She supposed she could search the cupboards now, but found herself frozen in place. 

“Paine, hon, I can’t find my- oh, hello!” a second woman said, entering the room. “I’m Rikku! Nice to meet you. Don’t mind Paine, she’s always a grump in the morning. And in the afternoon and evening too, though it gets a little less as the day goes on. Though she’s always off making deliveries and stuff so you might not see her too much. But if you ever have any problems come find me. I’m in the wardrobe room, that’s the one with the green door, cuz it’s totally my favorite color!” 

“Rikku, quit acting like a teenager, you’re 33 already.” 

“But I’m still only 17 at heart!” 

“Whatever. Oatmeal?” It took Aqua a moment to realize the last word was directed at her. 

“Oh. Um, sure?” 

“Good. I made too much for just the two of us.” 

As Paine spooned up three bowls of oatmeal, Rikku invited Aqua to eat with them. Aqua accepted, but almost balked when they headed through the door Aerith had said lead into the club proper. Still, Aerith had said it was a nice place for a meal… 

It was indeed a nice place for a meal. Aqua found herself staring at the large room in front of her. There were skylights on the end that wasn’t beneath the living quarters, and they lit the room brightly so that the chandeliers and various couches and tables were all visible. She might have stood there all day had Rikku not guided her to a seat. 

As they ate, they were joined by others who brought food of their own. First Cid, then Aerith, and then the two boys from last night plus a young man with fluffy blonde hair that stuck out in all directions. 

“You’re up early,” Aerith said to him, and he pointed at the two boys. It was clear that he’d rather still be asleep. 

“That’s Cloud,” Rikku whispered to Aqua. “He’s also kinda grumpy in the morning. But I think that’s ‘cuz he has to share a room with Raijin and Seifer and so he never gets enough sleep.” 

“Cloud, say hello to Aqua,” Aerith said. 

“Mornhrnhm,” Cloud muttered semi-intelligibly. 

“Rikku, quit telling her everyone’s a grump,” Paine said. 

“Yeah, only Uncle Cid’s a grump,” Seifer said, spilling milk as he tried to pour it on his cereal. 

“That’s Mr. Cid to you,” Cid replied. “And let Cloud pour that for you so that there’s some for the rest of us.” 

“But Cloud doesn’t do it right!” Seifer protested. 

“Since everyone who works here is up late, none of us are really morning people,” Aerith told Aqua. The kids and I get up a bit earlier than the rest, though both Zack and Yuffie could sleep all day if you let them.” 

“Yeah but then Yuffie does get up, and she makes you wish she hadn’t,” Cloud grumbled. 

“You say the same thing about Zack,” Aerith retorted. 

“He’s annoying too, but only after he’s been awake for a few hours. Yuffie is energetic right away.” 

“Hey guys! Were you talking about me? You totally were!” Yuffie’s voice said. She entered from the hallway, toting another unfamiliar woman behind her. 

“Foooood,” the woman said. 

“That’s Tifa. We’ll actually introduce you to her later, after she stops being a zombie,” Rikku said brightly. 

Aqua finished her oatmeal and took her bowl to the kitchen to wash it. Since there was also the oatmeal pot and spoon, Aqua decided to wash those as well while she was at it, and when the others finished she’d take care of their dishes as well. She might as well be helpful if she was staying here. 

Aqua had a hard time finding the dish soap, but she finally found a mostly empty bottle in a cupboard across the room, along with some chocolates and tomato sauce. She filled the sink and began scrubbing her bowl when someone came in. 

“Oh my god, you must be an angel,” Zack said. 

“Knock it off, goofball. Just because you leave your dirty dishes in the sink all the time doesn’t mean everyone’s a slob like you,” came yet another new voice. The speaker came over and leaned on the counter next to her. 

“Sorry about Zack. He can be a little dense at times. I’m Leon. Also, don’t worry about the dishes. We’ll get them later.” 

“Aqua. And it’s fine. This is the least I can do.” 

“You’re a guest. And what kind of hosts would we be if we made you do chores?” 

“Hahaha,” Zack laughed. “Hosts. Nice pun.” Leon cringed. 

“The pun wasn’t intended.” 

“Oh my word. Are you two making our guest do dishes?” a woman asked from the doorway. She was holding a small child, and Fuujin was peeking out from behind her. 

“Ah, Vivi, hey little man!” Zack said, and took a step towards them, but the woman turned so that the child was on the opposite side of her from them. 

“No Ms. Yuna,” Leon answered the woman. “I was just saying that she doesn’t need to.” 

Aerith came in from the main room and joined Aqua at the sink. 

“Looks like you’ve met everyone now. Why don’t you let me take over here and you go unpack.” 

Aqua realized she was defeated, and abandoned the dishes to return to the little bedroom. She didn’t unpack though. Instead she got out the cell phone and lay on the bed, staring at the phone and wondering if anyone would be awake at the twins’ house so she could talk to Ven, or if she called Terra would he want to even talk to her at all. 

* * *

Aqua spent most of the day reviewing her notebooks from the previous school year. She hadn’t really forgotten anything and could have finished her review in less than an hour, but she stretched it out as best she could because there didn’t seem to be anything else to do. She thought about trying to talk to some of the people here, but she couldn’t help remembering some of the things Zexion had said. The “glorified brothel” bit and that whole thing about not being the most trustworthy resonated with her in particular. Uncle Xemnas had said he trusted them, but Uncle Xemnas had a gang at his disposal and all the power that came with it. What did Aqua have? A dad who was abroad, a kid brother and a jerk brother, one actual uncle who was busy with his sister-in-law’s wedding, another actual uncle who was distant and creepy, an uncle who was really her cousin who couldn’t be bothered, and a bunch of uncles and an aunt who were of no actual relationship to her and were all hardened criminals and only tolerated her and her brothers because of their bond with Sora and Vanitas and their father’s position as their lawyer. 

Except maybe they did care somewhat. After all, Zexion had very specifically given her his number and told her to call if she felt threatened, and had seemed genuinely concerned about her staying here. But that was probably just self preservation, since if anything happened to her, as the one who last saw her it was probably his head that would roll. What about how Larxene had treated her to a spa day though? Did that mean something? Except Larxene had said herself that she had wanted to do something like that and Xion didn’t, so Aqua was probably just convenient. She’d been foolish to go along with it. And Luxord offered to teach everyone to play poker, not just her family, and Lexaeus was always baking and Vexen was always cooking and none of it meant anything. They were all a bunch of thugs, and they were evil. So if things went badly here, she couldn’t count on them to save her. She was alone, and so she had to be careful. 

For lunch, Aerith brought her a sandwich. She tried to protest that she could have made her own, but Aerith insisted that since she had already been helping the kids with theirs, what was one more sandwich to make? It bothered Aqua, the way they seemed to not want to let her help with things. At home, chores were expected. She, Terra, and Ven all had assigned chores- both daily and weekly- that they were responsible for. Some of the chores rotated, but between the three of them they were expected to clean the bathrooms, vacuum, take out the trash, wash and dry dishes, set the table for dinner, and dust. Eraqus usually did the laundry, but Aqua and Ventus had been discussing trying to do it for him as of late. 

With chores in mind, Aqua spent the afternoon trying to locate cleaning supplies. Like the dish soap, everything seemed to be in strange places. She found a broom hidden under a couch in the lounge area, dust cloths in the TV cupboard, and the cleaning supplies for the bathroom were crammed in the medicine cabinet, with painkillers and toothbrushes kept under the sink. She did not find a vacuum cleaner anywhere. 

After searching the entire second floor, Aqua found she’d worked up a thirst and went down the stairs for some water. She rooted around until she found drinking glasses in a low cabinet and filled it from the tap, figuring the city’s water safety standards were high enough that it should be safe. 

As she sipped the deliciously cold water, a tall man wearing dark glasses came in. She thought Aerith had said she’d met everyone, but he hadn’t been there that morning. She nodded shyly in greeting. 

“Aren’t you a little young to be here?” the man asked. 

“Um, I-” 

“Auron! Hey! Long time no see!” Zack said, swooping into the room. He blushed when he saw Aqua, and waved. 

“So Cid hasn’t kicked you out yet then, idiot?” the man asked. 

“Hahaha. No, not yet. You should know better than anyone that Cid’s a big softie.” 

The man’s eyebrows raised and a small wry smile flashed across his face for the briefest of seconds. 

“I suppose so. By the way, who’s this?” he jerked a thumb at Aqua. 

“Oh right! Intro. Auron, this is Aqua. Aqua, Auron.” 

“Eraqus’s daughter huh. Cid’s got some explaining to do,” Auron sniffed, and swept off. 

“Did I do something wrong?” Aqua asked. 

“Huh? How so?” Zack asked, looking genuinely confused. 

“He seemed… like he didn’t really like me.” 

“Nah. Auron’s just unfriendly. He’s our sometimes bouncer, so maybe that’s why.” Zack laughed, but it sounded entirely too nervous, like there was more to the story than he was telling. Aqua hadn’t talked much to the people here, but everything they said just raised more and more questions in her mind. It was unnerving. She wondered if she should beg Uncle Xemnas to let her come back to the twins’ house, but no, he’d probably just get mad. 

“C’mon, let’s go upstairs,” Zack said. Aqua wondered if despite what Aerith had said, she wasn’t really supposed to be down here, and followed. 

As they reached the upper hallway, Leon came out of one of the rooms on what Aerith had called the “men’s side”. 

“Zack, there you are! Did you borrow my jacket without asking again?” 

“Yuck! No way! I’d never borrow your clothes. Your style is just so broody.” 

“Says the guy who stole my underwear for a week because he didn’t want to do laundry!” 

“Will you two please keep it down for once!” snapped the blonde guy from that morning. Aqua had thought his hair might have been bedhead, but it was still sticking out in all directions, and had a certain stiffness indicating the use of hair gel. 

“Hey Cloud. Auron’s here,” Zack said. Cloud grimaced and ducked back into his room while Zack snickered. 

“Did you say Auron?” Another door opened, and Yuna appeared with Fuujin in tow. 

“Yeah, he’s downstairs. He did say he was going to see Cid, but I’ll bet it’s still safe since he wanted to ask about how Aqua ended up here,” Zack said. 

“Then I guess I should go say hi,” Yuna said, smiling. 

“Later,” Leon said to her, then turned to Zack. “Now about that jacket…” 

“I didn’t take it! It was Raijin and Seifer, I swear!” 

Bickering, the two of them retreated into their room, leaving only Aqua and Fuujin in the hall. 

“Is Auron dating Yuna then?” Aqua asked Fuujin, before she remembered that Aerith had said Fuujin didn’t talk much. She started to mumble out an apology, but a small, slightly husky voice said “He’s her brother. He’s actually dating Mr. Cid.” 

Aqua jumped, in part because this new information was unexpected, and in part because this was the first time she was hearing Fuujin speak. 

“I thought you didn’t like to talk,” Aqua said. Fuujin shook her head. Aqua smiled in spite of herself. 

“Sorry for making you talk, Fuujin.” Aqua headed for her room, but was stopped by that small voice again. 

“Fuu.” 

“Sorry?” 

“You can call me Fuu.” 

“Okay, Fuu.” 

“Um… Ms. Aqua?” 

“If you’re Fuu then I’m Aqua. No Ms.” 

“Aqua. You’re really pretty when you smile.” 

“Oh. Um. Thank you?” 

“I wish I was pretty like that, but my eyes are scary.” 

Aqua looked at Fuujin more closely. She hadn’t really taken the girl’s appearance in before. She could barely see Fuu’s eyes, as they were hidden behind hair that seemed styled with the intent to conceal them. They were red, and they seemed to be lit from within. 

“But they’re so mesmerizing,” Aqua said. When Fuu gave her a puzzled look she amended her word choice. “I mean that I think they’re beautiful.” 

“But they scare people.” 

“I have a cousin named Vanitas, and he’s got yellow eyes. People say his eyes are creepy too, but they’re not really. I like them a lot. And you’ve got nice eyes too. They’re like rubies.” 

Fuujin blushed and murmured a thank you before scurrying away. 

Back in the bedroom, Aqua was once again faced with nothing to do. She supposed she could head over to the lounge and watch TV, but if that was a common space the others might be there. Once again she found herself staring at the cell phone. If only dad hadn’t had to go. 

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been lying there like that when there was a knock on the door. She jumped, embarrassed when the bed creaked beneath her, then got to her feet and opened the door. Cid was in the hallway. 

“I’ve been thinking,” he began, “while you’re staying here we’re supposed to be keepin’ you safe, but we do sometimes get some occasional unsavory types around here. You probably won’t run into them, but I’ve learned the hard way that things that probably won’t happen often do, and we’d never be able to face your dad if anythin’ happened to you. So the best way to protect you is probably to teach you to fight is what I’m gettin’ at here.” 

“Aunt Xion taught me basic self defense, so I’ll be okay.” Cid snorted at that. 

“Yeah, against chickens and toothpicks maybe.” 

“Aunt Xion’s family runs a dojo.” 

“So they do. And it’s a good dojo. But basic self defense doesn’t teach you about real fightin’. It teaches you how to avoid a fight. Scare ‘em off before they start. But not everyone scares so easily, which is why Tifa and Cloud and Auron will be teaching you a few things that are more than ‘basic’ self defense. So even when we’re not around to look out for you, you can look out for yourself. First lesson’s on Saturday, right after lunch.” 

Aqua thought about protesting, but fighting lessons would be something to do, and also she couldn’t help fantasizing a little about pummeling Gaston. And then maybe Terra would stop idolizing the jerk and start being her brother again. Though probably not. He’d most likely just get mad at her. 

As Cid turned to walk away, Aerith was coming from back the hall. 

“What was Cid doing upstairs?” she asked, puzzled. Aqua explained about the fighting lessons. 

“Right after lunch? Be careful not to vomit. Tifa will probably be teaching you some throws.” 

“Will Cloud and Auron be teaching me punches and kicks then?” 

“They’re probably just there as sandbags and to make sure Tifa doesn’t run you into the ground. She has lots of stamina, and a love for fighting that keeps her from knowing where to draw the line.” 

Aqua made a mental note to carboload on Saturday. It sounded like she’d be needing some extra calories. 

That evening Aqua ate dinner with Yuffie, Zack, Raijin, Fuu, and Seifer. They ate upstairs, even if it meant carrying the dishes up and back down. Yuffie also left a plate outside one of the rooms for Vivi, since he was too shy to join them. During dinner, Fuu sat next to Aqua, which did not escape notice. 

“Wow Aqua, Fuu seems to really like you,” Yuffie said when Fuu handed Aqua a book after dinner. While Fuu seemed a little old to be read to still, Aqua complied. 

“You’d better be careful,” Zack warned. “She’s just trying to figure out your voice. She may seem all cute now, but just wait until she’s putting words in your mouth that would never be there on their own.” Aqua was a bit puzzled what Zack might mean, until all of a sudden Leon’s voice came from right next to her, saying “But Zack darling, you say those kinds of things to me all the time.” 

As Seifer and Raijin howled with laughter, Zack reddened. 

“Wow. Usually Fuu tends to mess with people a little to introduce her special talent. With Ms. Rikku, she hid in a cabinet and pretended to be Ms. Paine and Ms. Yuna having a conversation about fashion without her. It took her hours to figure it out,” Yuffie said. 

Fuujin began to take the book back from Aqua. 

“You don’t have to read to me if you don’t want to,” she said quietly. While Aqua wasn’t sure how she felt about her voice being mimicked in potentially embarrassing ways, she couldn’t say no to the girl when she looked so disheartened. 

“No, it’s okay,” she said, holding onto the book tighter. She found a seat and sat, looking at the book’s title, which was “A Beginner’s Guide to Voice Acting”. 

“Voice acting?” she asked. Fuu nodded. 

“I wanna voice characters on TV,” she said, blushing a little and looking away. 

“Then if you copy my voice, it’s helping you practice for your goal?” Aqua asked. Fuu nodded earnestly. 

“Then of course I’ll read to you, if it’ll help you with your dream.” Aqua understood dreams. She had one of her own, though that was a secret. 

And so Aqua spent her last night of summer vacation reading a book about voice acting. She did feel a bit ashamed of herself since she hadn’t called either of her brothers that day, but she’d see them tomorrow at school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All this set-up is almost as long as the intro stuff in KHII. Stay tuned for things actually happening tomorrow!


	19. Terra's Trials: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Missing persons theme

The next morning Terra was awakened by a loud knocking at his door, the sound shocking him to a sitting position. A few moments passed as Terra’s mind tried to process where he was and what was happening. When he finally remembered that he was staying at Maleficent’s manor he called a “Come in.” 

At Terra’s call, the butler from yesterday stepped in and stood in front of the doorway. Terra vaguely recalled Maleficent referring to him as Diaval. 

“My Lady requests your presence at breakfast.” He pronounced. 

“Uh, okay.” Terra responded. “I’ll be there?” 

Diaval continued to stand there. “Madame eats breakfast at seven o’clock sharp.” 

Terra glanced at the electric clock near the bed, it was 6:50. “Right. Give me five minutes.” 

With a nod Diaval left the room. Now in a rush to get up, Terra flung the covers off him and changed into the first T-shirt and jeans he saw, making sure to place his cellphone in a pocket. He then ran into the bathroom that was attached to his room and began to pee, brush his teeth, and run a hand through his hair all at once. There wasn’t time for a shower, instead he simply wiped his face with a washcloth and hoped his hair didn’t look as greasy as it felt. 

At 6:54 Terra stepped out of the room to see Diaval standing there and staring at his watch, counting down the seconds. When Terra emerged, he looked up and gave Terra a once-over. As his expression remained indifferent, Terra had no idea what the man thought of his attire. 

“Follow me.” Diaval said and strode off. 

Terra trailed behind the butler who led him down a flight and stopped at a large door. Diaval didn’t say anything, merely stood to the side and opened the door with a bow. Taking the hint, Terra entered, the clock hanging above the door reading 6:59. 

“Ah, Terra, there you are.” Maleficent greeted as Terra entered the dining room. “We were afraid you wouldn’t make it.” 

“I’m sorry.” Terra responded. He began to walk down the dining table, it was long and he had to pass a dozen empty seats before he could sit at the place set for him to the left of Maleficent, who was at the head of the table. “I was unaware of the time.” 

“You are here now and that is what matters.” Maleficent responded. 

The only other person at the table snorted. “Don’t think you can get away with that excuse next time, buster.” 

Maleficent heaved a dramatic sigh and raised a hand to indicate the male sitting on her right. “This is my son Pete. You didn’t meet him yesterday because he was out with friends. As you can see he can be quite rude, so ignore him and let us eat.” 

Once Maleficent said that, several servants appeared and placed covered plates in front of them, took the cover off to reveal omelettes with a side of bacon, and retreated. Terra was unsure what kind of routine Maleficent had for eating and waited till she picked up her silverware and said “Go ahead.” 

With that out of the way Terra began digging in, as he was starving and the omelettes were heavenly. Halfway through his second omelette he began to slow down and took the time to covertly look at Pete. The boy was big, huge even. He was about as tall as his mother and had mass everywhere. Though Pete’s clothes fit him tightly in places, Terra still couldn’t tell whether he was heavyset from muscle, fat, or both. He was also a messy eater. Terra could swear that half the food on Pete’s plate ended up on the table, his lap, and the floor instead of his mouth. Maleficent scolded him on it a few times, but it had the hollow ring of something that had been repeated often. 

When Maleficent had finished eating, she dabbed carefully at her lips with her cloth napkin then dropped it on her plate. “Now Terra.” She said. “There are a few things I would like to discuss with you before you start the day.” 

“If you won’t be needin’ me, I’ll be going” Pete stated, and started to get up. 

Maleficent put out a hand. “No Pete. Stay. Some of this involves you.” With a grumble he sat back down. 

Terra put down the glass of orange juice he had been drinking. “I’m all ears.” 

“Excellent.” There was a small smile on Maleficent’s face. “First of all, I would like you to join us at breakfast from now on. I’m a very busy woman and will not be around often. Breakfast will be my time to talk with you and make sure your stay here is a pleasant one.” 

“I can do that.” Terra agreed. 

“Wonderful.” Maleficent replied. “Second is your transportation to school. You will be riding in the car with Pete and be dropped off in the mornings and picked up afterwards unless arranged otherwise.” 

“Oh great.” Pete rolled his eyes. “I’ll become the laughing-stock at my school if someone sees me in the same car as this poor loser who can’t even dress himself.” 

Terra looked down at himself. He couldn’t see anything wrong with what he was wearing. Sure nothing was designer brand but they were clean and not a single hole could be seen. Was Pete just making fun of him? That thought caused the hands in his lap to curl up into fists. 

“It’ll be fine Pete.” Maleficent said sweetly. “He’ll be dropped off before you, so there’s little chance your friends will see him.” 

Keeping his head down, Terra tried to control his anger. They probably didn’t mean any of what they said and it wouldn’t do any good to get mad. 

“One more thing Terra.” Maleficent turned to face him again, smile on her face. Terra’s head snapped up in response. “Please be sure to let the chauffeur know when you won’t be needing his services.” 

Terra merely nodded in response, not trusting himself to speak. 

“Excellent. Then you are both excused.” 

Pete immediately stood up and bolted for the door Terra originally came through while Maleficent exited a different way. Terra followed Pete more slowly, taking deep breaths to calm himself. Out in the hallway no one was around and Terra took the chance to pull out his phone. He expected a voicemail from his sister asking if he was okay but to his surprise there was nothing, not even a text. Figuring Aqua may still be asleep- it was summer vacation still after all- he put the phone back in his pocket and returned to his room. 

When Terra returned to his room he realized that he had no idea what he was going to do. He didn’t even know what exactly he could do. There was a computer, but he didn’t exactly want to spend his last day of summer vacation in front of a screen. Looking outside he noticed a plot of cyclamens, Ven’s favorite flower. With no other ideas in mind, Terra decided to explore the yard. 

The yard was huge and took several hours to go through. There was a garden with fountains, a greenhouse with tropical plants and even a maze that Terra got lost in. Occasionally he encountered a gardener but they moved away when he saw them. The entire time Terra wandered he kept checking his cell phone, waiting for Aqua to call him, but she never did. 

Around noon Terra starting heading back to the manor for lunch but was intercepted on the way there by a group of servants carrying tables, a chair, and various picnic baskets. 

“We thought you might enjoy having your lunch outside sir.” One of the servants, a female, said. 

“Uh, that sounds fine.” Terra faltered. 

“Then please sit down as we provide your lunch.” 

Terra complied and sat in the wicker chair provided. A table was placed in front of him with a small vase of flowers. There was also a table for a cook who began slicing up meat and cheese for a sandwich along with various fruits and vegetables. He had never had so fancy a lunch and he wasn’t exactly sure he enjoyed it. 

After lunch Terra tried to help clean up but the servants forcefully, if politely, pushed him away. With nothing better to do, Terra continued his trek back to the mansion and pulled his phone out to check for messages. Once again there was nothing. Deciding to call her, Terra scrolled to her name in his contact list but just as he was about to hit ‘send call’ he hesitated. If he called her, he would just look like a weenie who couldn’t be without his family for one day. And he was no weenie. Shutting his phone, he strode more purposefully for the manor. 

Unfortunately he still had no idea what he was going to do when he got there so he ended wandering the hallways and rooms, mapping out the shortest routes to the dining hall, the kitchen, and his bedroom. He recalled there was a workout room in the tour Maleficent had given him and used that for a while. Afterwards he managed to sneak into the kitchen before the servants found him and have his supper there. It was kind of lonely, eating by himself with no one to talk to. There was the kitchen staff, but they were working and mostly ignored him. 

When he was finished he returned to his room. He double-checked and triple-checked that he had everything he needed for school the next day. Then with nothing else to do he sat down on his bed and read a book he had brought until it was bedtime. Aqua never called. 

* * *

The next morning Maleficent was talking business on a cell phone so he and Pete ate in silence. After breakfast Terra ran up to his room to grab his backpack then ran all the way down to meet Pete and the chauffeur at the manor’s entrance. The driver held the door open and Pete got in first. 

Before he got in, Terra stammered, “I uh, don’t need to be picked up tonight. I have a martial arts lesson.” 

“Understood sir.” The driver responded. 

Terra hesitated, unsure if he was supposed to arrange to be picked up from Xion’s family dojo or not. 

“Just get in already you lughead!” Pete yelled from inside the car. 

Driven by Pete’s ire, Terra entered the car, deciding he could convince one of his aunts or uncles to give him a ride if need be. 

With very little fanfare, Terra was dropped off at the back of his school where there were very few cars and students. Terra thanked the driver, but he only got a “Hmph.” in response. 

Being dropped off before Pete meant that it was way too early for classes to start. Perhaps he could go around front and wait for Ventus and Aqua to arrive. People normally dropped off the middle-schoolers and high-schoolers in almost the same place. If he paid attention he might be able to catch them both. 

The first to show up was Ven, dropped off by Xigbar. When Ven saw Terra waving at him his face lit up and he rushed over. 

“Terra!” He exclaimed. “What’s the new place you’re staying like? Uncle Luxord said you’re living in a mansion!” 

Terra laughed at Ven’s enthusiasm and ruffled his hair. “Something like that. The place is like a castle and only two people actually live there. There are servants, but they have their own separate building.” 

Ven’s eyes widened comically. “Whoa, that’s a lot of room for just two people. Do they have any pets? Like a tiger? Or an elephant?” 

“Nothing so extreme.” Terra smiled. “Just a few housecats to keep the rodent population down.” 

“Oh.” Ven looked down at his feet. Dejected. 

“What’s going on guys?” Aqua asked as she approached, smiling. 

Ven looked up, smile back on his face. “Hey Aqua! Terra was telling me about the place he’s staying at. It’s a castle! What’s your place like?” 

Aqua’s smile faltered for a split-second. “Its… lively. There’s a lot of people who work together sharing living space.” 

“Like an apartment?” Terra questioned. 

“Not really. More like those places you see where the first floor is a place of business and the second is living space.” Aqua waved a hand in front of her face as if to shoo the topic away. “Anyways, are you guys ready to start school? Ven, do you have everything?” 

Ven nodded, “Uncle Saix and Uncle Axel helped me, Sora, and Vanitas pack.” 

“Do you remember how to get to your classroom?” Aqua asked. 

“Yes Aqua.” 

“And do you remember our cellphone numbers in case you need to call us?” 

Ven rolled his eyes. “Yes Aqua.” 

“Did you-” 

Terra placed a hand on Aqua’s shoulder. “Stop worrying Aqua. Ven’ll be fine. It’s not his first time starting a new school year.” 

Aqua nodded, biting her lip. “Right.” 

“Class is about to start soon so we should get going.” Terra stated. “See ya later Ven!” 

Ventus and Aqua exchanged good-byes and they went their separate ways: Terra and Aqua for the High School entrance and Ven for the Middle School. After they had walked a few feet Terra stopped and turned to Aqua, hand rubbing at the back of his neck. 

“Look Aqua, can you..?” 

“You want me to walk in front of you so it doesn’t seem like you’re associated with me.” Aqua said, face tight. 

Terra felt relieved at Aqua’s understanding. “Yeah, so would you?” 

Her next words were through clenched teeth. “Fine, I didn’t really want to walk next to you anyway.” 

Aqua walked off and Terra waited a few moments to make sure there was enough distance between them before taking off himself. 

* * *

Terra was almost to his locker when he felt an arm drape around his shoulder and a boisterous voice in his ear. “Terra! Where you’ve been the past few days? I’ve tried to call you but you haven’t been answering.” 

Casually shrugging the arm off, Terra responded. “That’s because I haven’t been home the past few days Gaston. I’ve been living somewhere else.” 

Gaston backed up a little so Terra could see his face. “You run away? I’m impressed. That takes balls that I didn’t know you had.” 

Terra could feel himself blushing and busied himself entering the combination of his locker. “No. My Dad went to Japan and he left me and my siblings with relatives.” 

Gaston leaned against the locker next to Terra’s, angering a girl who had been just about to open it. “Rotten luck. I’d be real upset if my old man still thought I needed baby-sitting whenever he decided to take off.” 

Terra ducked behind his locker door as he began putting away his extra folders and notebooks. He hadn’t thought of staying with the Yakuza 13, and now Maleficent, as babysitting but now that Gaston brought it up it sure felt that way. Not wanting to acknowledge this though, Terra said instead, “Well my brother is only ten, it’s more for him than for us.” 

Gaston flicked his fingers. “If that were true your old man could have just left him with your relatives and left you and whatsherface to take care of yourselves.” 

Terra didn’t have a response to that so he simply grabbed what he needed for trigonometry and started to walk away. 

Gaston followed Terra, his own hands empty while his face acquired a smirk. “Though I just had an idea. If your place is empty then it’d be the perfect place to have a kick-off party.” 

Terra stopped in his tracks. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” 

Gaston almost went past Terra, but turned back with a raised eyebrow. “Why not?” 

“Because last time didn’t end so well.” Terra responded. 

There was a shrug from Gaston. “Eh, it happens. Any other excuse?” 

“Look, this is my class Gaston. I’ll see you later.” Terra entered the classroom without turning back. 

* * *

Terra didn’t share any morning classes with Gaston so he didn’t see him till lunch time. By then he seemed to have forgotten about holding a party but he had told the other football players at the table about how Terra was being ‘babysat’ if their actions were any indication. 

“Does the baby need a bottle?” One asked in a sickeningly sweet voice while the others snickered. 

“Or perhaps you need us to cut up your food for you?” Another asked. 

Terra gritted his teeth as he placed his tray on the table and resisted the urge to tell them that the ‘relatives’ he had originally been staying with were Yakuza that could knock them ten ways to Sunday without breaking a sweat. “That’s not funny guys.” 

“Ah, did we hurt the widdle baby’s feelings? Do you want your mommy to kiss it better?” 

“Best save those kisses for yourself Clayton.” Terra snapped. “Your mommy is the only girl who’d kiss your ugly mug.” 

“Oooh, he got you good Clayton!” Lefou giggled. 

Clayton’s face burned bright red, but he tried to dismiss it with a “Whatever, it wasn’t that great.” 

Gaston pounded his fist on the table to get everyone’s attention. “Enough of that, on to business. Our first football game of the season is this weekend and we need to make sure our best players are ready. Terra, will you be at practice tonight?” 

Terra shook his head. “No, with my Dad out of the country there’s no one to sign my permission forms.” 

“Hmm, that’ll put us back. We’ll have to find someone to replace you.” Gaston stated and then began discussing with others who would be best on the team. 

The conversation didn’t interest Terra if he wouldn’t be on the football team so he tuned it out and instead began looking around the cafeteria, checking out who else shared this lunchtime. A few tables over were the people from the drama club. Judging by Jack Skelly’s wild gesturing he was telling the story about how he had convinced a social studies student teacher that he was the teacher. Terra wondered what the musical would be this fall, but since his friend Aladdin had moved away a year ago he wasn’t sure whether he was welcome at their table or not, as Aladdin had been his only tie to the Drama Club. 

Continuing his scan Terra saw a familiar head of blue hair. Aqua sat on the other side of the cafeteria with various student council members. As if sensing his gaze, Aqua turned around and began searching the room. Terra quickly turned back to his food before she could catch his eye. He wished school was over already, no longer in the mood for dealing with people. 

The day dragged on, filled with syllabi and teachers introducing themselves. The only highlight was Wind Ensemble because they got to start playing music right away. When school was finally over Terra went as quickly as was reasonably possible, grabbed his backpack and charged out the front doors. Once he was free from the confines of the building Terra let out a sigh of relief. It would take him a few days to get used to being in a confined space for hours. 

He went around to the side of the entrance where he began to stretch while he waited for his ride, being outside felt so refreshing. After a few minutes Aqua appeared, with a nod to Terra she sat a few feet away and began to read. There wasn’t much longer until Xemnas showed up in a large pale blue van he must have borrowed from Xion. 

Aqua snapped her book closed. “Where’s Ven?” 

“Maybe his class didn’t let out yet?” Terra suggested. 

Scanning the area Aqua responded, “But the middle-schoolers are already waiting for the bus?” 

Xemnas honked the horn, causing Terra and Aqua to approach the van. 

“Will you get in already?” Xemnas said sharply. “Vanitas and Sora’s school gets out in twenty minutes and if I’m late Xigbar will not let it go.” 

“Ven’s not here yet.” Aqua responded, worry lacing her voice. 

“Then go get him.” Xemnas said shortly. 

“Right.” Aqua nodded. “I’ll go check his class.” 

“I’ll stay here just in case he’s looking for us.” Terra said. 

Xemnas sighed. “I’ll go park the car.” 

As the two of them left Terra began frantically searching for Ventus within the sea of people heading for their cars and children waiting for the bus, hoping that Ven’s class was just being held back. Ven knew where their meeting spot was; there was no reason he should be late. 

When Aqua returned Terra was pacing back and forth from the entrance of the High School to the end of the rows of school bus parking spots. Xemnas was standing in one spot, arms crossed and tapping his right elbow. 

“Did you find him?” Terra asked. 

Aqua had to stop gnawing her lip in order to answer. “Ven’s teacher said she hasn’t seen him all day.” 

Xemnas shrugged, dropping his arms. “So he decided to skip school, so let’s find where he went and then leave.” 

“Ven would never do that! He loves school!” Aqua protested. 

The eyebrows on Xemnas’s forehead came together. “Then where is he?” 

Aqua and Terra both shrugged helplessly. 

“Alright.” Xemnas said crisply. “Terra and Aqua you stay here and look for Ventus. I’ll go pick up Sora and Vanitas and leave them with Xigbar to make certain they are safe. Do either of you have Zexion’s number?” 

“I do.” Aqua responded. Terra looked at her with surprise. “He said to call him if something went wrong.” She explained, a slight blush dusting her cheeks. 

Xemnas nodded. “Good. Call him and Roxas and tell them what happened. Have them start searching into where Ven could have gone. If you find Ventus before I come back, call Xigbar to pick you up. Clear?” 

“Clear.” They both echoed. 

As Xemnas briskly walked off, Terra and Aqua quickly decided that it was best if they split up. Aqua would search the Middle School and Terra the High School then meet in the Elementary. They both searched as thoroughly as they could both inside and outside of the schools but there was still no sign of their little brother when Xemnas finally came to pick them up. On the way home the car was silent, everyone contemplating what could have happened to Ven. 

All the time spent searching for Ven meant Terra’s martial arts class would be starting soon. When Xemnas dropped Terra off at the dojo he mechanically grabbed his bag and climbed the steps into the dojo, it wasn’t until he entered the bathroom to change that he realized he hadn’t said ‘thanks’ to Xemnas or ‘good-bye’ to Aqua. During class his concentration wasn’t much better. They were going over katas and Terra kept losing his form or screwing up the order of the movements. He struggled to summon the tranquility he usually found in practicing aikido but it was a futile effort. He wanted so badly to rage, to scream, to punch something, that trying to make the precise and controlled movements of the kata was impossible. His struggling was so bad that sensei dismissed him from class, so with a bow, Terra left the dojo. 

Rather than call someone for a ride Terra headed towards a nearby unkempt field. There was a ‘For Sale’ sign but no fence. Once there Terra let out his frustration into one loud, strangled yell. “Where are you Ven?!” Causing several crows to take flight with noisy caws. 

Terra dropped to his hands and knees, letting the grass close in over his head. “Where are you Ven?” He repeated, softer. 

Who knew why Ven was gone? He could have been kidnapped, but why would someone kidnap Ven? Did someone get a kick out of stealing kids? Or was it something to do with the Yakuza 13? Their Dad had made it abundantly clear the risks involved if they choose to hang out with Sora and Vanitas and therefore the Yakuza 13. Dad had seemed confident that nothing would happen to his children, that their Aunts and Uncles could protect them. But what if he was wrong? What if even now someone was planning on using Ven to get to the Yakuza 13? 

“It’s all my fault.” Terra murmured. If only he had let Aqua worry and walk Ven to class. Or if instead of waiting for Ven to show up at their usual spot if he had instead gone to get him from his class. Terra rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky, watching the clouds float by. What if Ven hadn’t been kidnapped? What if he had decided to leave on his own? Where would he go? Did he feel abandoned because he was left alone with Sora and Vanitas without his immediate family? But he had seemed so cheerful that morning. 

Terra lay there lost in his thoughts until his cell phone started ringing. He flicked it open and put it against his ear to hear Xion’s panicked voice asking, “Terra where are you? Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine Aunt Xion.” Terra replied sitting up. “I’m just at the open field near the dojo.” 

There was a relieved sigh from Xion. “Good, good. I'm here to pick you up.” 

“Right, I’ll come back.” Terra said and hung up. 

* * *

When they had made it back to the house Xemnas was gone, leaving Xigbar, Aqua, and the twins. Aqua explained that the rest of Yakuza 13 had gone out to search for Ven. Terra suggested that he could go out and search too but Xigbar told him no and that the others knew what they were doing. So Terra sat and waited. He tried to work on his homework as a distraction, but the words just swam on the sheet. Finally he gave up; it was just basic introduce yourself questions anyways. Terra thought about hanging out with the twins but didn’t think he could handle playing with them without thinking about Ven. 

As the Uncles and Aunts began trickling back Terra pounced on each of them and demanded information, but none of them had seen Ven or found a clue to where he could have gone. Xemnas, along with Demyx and Marluxia, returned with pizza. Terra was too worried to feel hungry, but managed to choke a few slices down. The entire time he was drilling everyone about the places they had checked and in turn Saix had taken to asking Terra about any friends Ven may have decided to stay with or who he would go to if he was in trouble. 

Eventually Roxas stood up and slammed his hands on the table between Saix and Terra, “That is enough.” He said firmly. “You two are just repeating yourselves at this point. Terra, grab your stuff, I’m taking you to Maleficent’s, you’ll be safe there.” 

Terra opened his mouth to protest but Roxas cut him off with a hand. “You need to go back anyways and there’s nothing you can do here. If there’s any updates we’ll be sure to inform you. Now get going.” 

Clenching his fists, Terra grabbed his backpack and stomped out of the house. 

“That was a little harsh Roxas.” Axel stated. 

Roxas dragged a hand down his face and murmured. “Yeah, yeah I guess.” 

On the way to Maleficent’s Roxas tried to make conversation with Terra but each time he tried Terra would only respond with a noncommittal grunt. 

“Look Terra,” Roxas sighed, “I know you’re worried about Ven, but you need to take a step back. It’s not going to help anyone if you hold onto your anger, least of all yourself.” 

Terra snorted. 

“It’s true.” A corner of Roxas’s mouth rose up into a lopsided smile. “I would know. You may not remember since you and Aqua were so young, but I was angry a lot as a teen too. Your mother had no idea what to do with me.” 

For a second Terra looked over at Roxas, curious, but quickly caught himself and looked back out the window. 

Roxas’s face grew serious again, “I was angry at the whole world back then. It didn’t matter that I had found my sister again after years of being apart. I was mad at the series of orphanages and foster homes I had to go through and mad at the government for not letting me live on my own and mad at my sister because she couldn’t understand what I was going through.” 

“That anger did me no good. I couldn’t hold down a job, continuously being fired because I couldn’t hold my temper. That’s how I ended up with Yakuza 13, a robber came in and instead of following procedure I got angry and beat up the thief instead. They found out about it and decided to hire me. I was so desperate for the money and to be independent that I took it, even though Hope and your father would have gladly taken care of me.” 

“I also pushed away the people that I loved because of my anger. The only one I allowed close was Xion and she tried her hardest to get me to open up. Her and Hope both. But I finally managed to convince Hope to keep her distance.” Roxas’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “When she died I hadn’t talked to her in over a month. I couldn’t even remember the last time I told her I loved her.” 

Terra had no idea what to say, so he didn’t, only watched the scenery pass by as he processed what his uncle had told him. 

After a few moments of silence Roxas continued in a soft voice. “After she died I had no idea what to do with myself. I thought about leaving the Yakuza 13, possibly even leaving the country and starting a new life. It wasn’t until Sora and Vanitas came into our lives that I realized what I wanted. I wanted to stay with the Yakuza 13. I knew they were on unsavory organization, but there are even worse groups out there and if being a part of the Yakuza 13 kept such groups from rising to power, then so be it.” 

“Roxas…” Terra trailed off, uncertain. 

Roxas pulled up in front of Maleficent’s manor and turned to face Terra. “What I’m getting at Terra is don’t forget who is most important to you. They’re the ones who’ll help you at a time like this and you don’t want to lose them because of your attitude. Though if you ever need any help figuring things out, me and Xion would be happy to help.” 

Terra nodded, “Okay.” 

Roxas smiled again. “Good. We’ll do our best to find Ven, so you just keep your eyes and ears open. I’ll see you later, okay?” 

“See you, Uncle Roxas.” Terra said, flashing him a quick smile and getting out of the car. 

As Roxas drove away Terra took a deep breath. Roxas was right, letting his emotions run out of control wasn’t going to help Ven. He needed to stay calm and believe in Ven. If any of his Aunts and Uncles needed his help, they would ask for it and he would wait until then. 

With this conviction in mind he entered the manor and greeted Diaval, who was waiting for him. After explaining that he didn’t need anything Terra headed for his room. Once there he was hit by a wave of exhaustion. All the worrying had worn him out, so instead of giving his homework another go like he planned, he changed into his PJs and went to bed instead.


	20. Aqua Alone: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: missing persons and abduction themes, the briefest mention of drugs

The next morning Aqua had breakfast with a smaller crowd, just the kids and Rikku and Paine. Afterwards, Paine drove them all to school, dropping off first Zack and Yuffie, then Raijin, Seifer, and Fuujin, then Vivi who had to go to a special school due to his shyness, and finally Aqua. As Paine dropped her off, she reminded Aqua that she would be going home to Sora and Vanitas’s house along with Ven, and would get picked up later. She didn’t specify when “later” was though, which made Aqua wonder if she would be stuck at the twins’ house until late at night. 

It was strange to realize how relieved she was to see her brothers safe and sound. After all, her new home wasn’t exactly what you’d call home sweet home, what with the host club downstairs, so it wouldn’t have surprised her if Uncle Xemnas had been lying about how safe Terra would be either. But Terra was alive and well, and seemed to be happy enough with his new home, and of course Ven was okay staying at Sora and Vanitas’s place, though she couldn’t help worrying that the parents of the twins wouldn’t be such great guardians for kids who weren’t their little boys. She even managed to brush off the topic of where she was staying without going into detail, an idea which had worried her for the entire car ride from Fantasy. 

She was looking forward to the day, a new year with new classes and maybe some new friends, seeing her old friends after the summer, and not being alone among a bunch of sketchy people for a change, except then Terra ruined it. What had she expected, that a day apart would make him start acting mature for a change? Yeah right. Her mood remained sour throughout the day, such that her friends all expressed concern. By the end of the day, she wondered what she’d even been looking forward to. For some reason, getting to know her new teachers was just an annoyance and she wished she could just continue on with the same teachers as before. They knew her, and knew that they could count on her. Except even that seemed tiresome at the moment. She just wanted to stop and breathe for a while. She wanted… She wanted to be a little girl again, feeling safe and secure with both her parents and her twin by her side and a baby brother on the way… 

At lunch, she tried to enjoy the meal that was served. The first week of school was always the best for school lunches- after that the quality of food went on a downhill spiral from appetizing to edible to questionable to slop to so-disgusting-even-roaches-won’t-touch-it. She almost managed it, until she found herself looking for Terra and seeing him with his friends. He was examining his tray of food like he was trying to memorize it for a quiz. She wondered if he’d been looking before, and didn’t want to make eye contact. Well that was fine. He could just sit with his friends who weren’t even bothering to include him in their conversation. It was no skin off her nose. 

The school day finished, and the student council advisor stopped Aqua in the hall to tell her about the next meeting they’d be having. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to attend, but she promised to be there anyways. She didn’t want to disappoint anyone. 

Outside Terra was waiting in the pick-up zone, and Aqua remembered he had an aikido lesson today. She sat down and pretended to read the novel they were assigned in English, avoiding Terra for her own sake just as much as for the sake of him and his image. But really she was lost in thought about the way things stood at the moment: her relationship with her brothers, her living situation, academics. She knew she ought to be thinking about college applications and what would make her a better candidate for schools, but that was still a ways away so even though that normally was a good way to occupy her mind, it slipped away from her like it had turned to water. 

In hindsight, Aqua would have liked to have stayed in that moment. She was unhappy then, but so what? Because the next few minutes brought something much worse. Panic. After Uncle Xemnas sent her to search for Ven, she found he hadn’t been in school at all. Further searching turned up nothing either. 

It didn’t make sense. Ven loved school, he’d been there this morning- she and Terra had seen him! Maybe she should have walked him to his class. But surely he was old enough to get there on his own. But what if something had happened? What if he’d gotten into an accident, like tripping on a banana peel? No, that was ridiculous, but maybe a speeding car… Also ridiculous, because an ambulance would have been called and word would have spread throughout the school and someone would probably have come and found her and Terra. 

They stopped to drop off Terra on their way to the twins’ home, and by the time they reached Sora and Vanitas’s house, most of the Yakuza 13 leaders were already there. They were met at the door by Saix, who informed them that Xion was escorting guests and wouldn’t arrive until later, and Vexen had an accidental amputation to deal with, but everyone else was there and awaiting Xemnas’s orders save for the two she and Terra had called when the search first began. Aqua had heard of the Yakuza 13 mobilizing like this, but had never seen it in person before. She tried to tell herself that if these people were looking for Ven, then there was no need to worry since they’d certainly find him, but if anything it made her more nervous, because where could Ven have gone that they needed so many people to search? 

Somehow, everyone ended up in the basement, which was pretty much the only place where they could all fit. 

“I want four teams for now. Hospitals, police stations, bus stations, and streets,” Xemnas told everyone. “Lexaeus, Saix, you two take bus stations. Xaldin, Luxord, you’ve got hospitals. When Vexen shows up he’s with you as well. Marluxia, you and I will take police stations. Demyx too I suppose. If he does anything stupid at least we won’t have to deal with him until Eraqus gets back.” Aqua saw a flicker of movement and noticed Xaldin clamping a hand over Demyx’s mouth to keep him from replying. “The rest of you are on the street. And Xigbar, you’re here with the boys and my cousin. So if anyone finds anything call Xigbar and he’ll relay it to the rest of us. Now move.” 

It was practically a stampede up the stairs as everyone sprang into action, pulling out cell phones to call subordinates as they raced to get to work. 

The next few hours were agonizing for Aqua. She had a snack with the boys, and tried to listen as Sora prattled on about what he’d done that day, but her mind kept returning to the same thing over and over again. Ven. Ven. Her baby brother. Where was Ven? 

Every so often, Xigbar’s phone would ring. Aqua felt her spirits lift each time, certain Ventus had been found, but each time Xigbar listened, then looked her way and sadly shook his head. The lines in his face deepened each time, showing she wasn’t the only one being worn down by crushed hopes. 

Vexen came and went, setting off to do his part. Terra came back from aikido, accompanied by Xion. It was getting late, almost time for dinner, and still there was no word of Ven. Zexion, who had gone to check the school’s CCTV feed, returned, having found nothing on the security cameras that told them what had happened to Ven. Not long after, Demyx, Marluxia, and Xemnas returned, laden with pizza boxes and frustration. After Xaldin, Vexen, and Saix returned from checking every hospital and clinic within Yakuza 13 territory with no signs of Ventus, Xemnas called back the remaining leaders to revamp their strategy. As Aqua mechanically chewed her pizza, she felt a sense of deepening dread. If even the Yakuza 13 couldn’t find Ven, then did that mean he had disappeared off the face of the Earth? 

As the Yakuza 13 leaders wolfed down their pizza at a rate that made it seem like even the dozen boxes they had brought wouldn’t be enough, Terra peppered them with questions. Had they checked his and Aqua’s neighborhood? Had they tried this hospital or that one, or gone to Ven’s favorite places? Shouldn’t they call dad? Xemnas promised to call Eraqus, and Terra ended up being grilled by Saix on everywhere Ven liked to go and all of his friends from school. To escape a similar interrogation, Aqua decided to go and see if Sora and Vanitas had any homework. 

What she found in the twins’ room was very disheartening. The twins both looked dejected. Vanitas had somehow coaxed Meow into his lap, and was petting the cat without emotion. Sora had out some toy cars, but he was rolling one back and forth without interest. They both perked up as she came in. 

“Is Ven home?” Sora asked. Aqua shook her head, and Sora started to cry. As she tried to calm him, she heard a sniffle from where Vanitas was sitting, and saw him rubbing at his eyes with the heel of his hand. Aqua tried to think of soothing things to say, that everything was going to be alright. She tried to think up a lie to tell them, that Ven was staying at a friend’s house tonight, that it was all just a prank, that they’d find Ven and he’d be back before they knew it, but she couldn’t bring herself to say any of those things. All she could do was hug Sora, and Vanitas too once he got Meow to move and joined them. After a while, the two boys went to go brush their teeth and get ready for bed, and Aqua found herself alone. 

Aqua started to head back to where the Yakuza 13 were still discussing search plans, but she realized it wouldn’t do anyone any good. She couldn’t help them, and it would only stress her out. Instead, she found herself heading outside to the back porch. 

It was a clear night, and it made her heart ache for the absent Ventus even more. Ven loved the night sky. He’d stare up at the stars and start talking about life on other planets and what kind of animals did other planets have? Aqua felt a tear on her cheek. For a second, she let it sit there, thinking how nice it would be if she could cry like the twins had just then. 

She wondered if this was somehow her fault. Should she have done something differently? Maybe if she’d protested more about being moved to a new home, or if she’d begged dad not to go or... 

The door opened and she whirled. Zexion was there, looking startled to see her. 

“Aqua. I didn’t know you were- wait, are you crying?” Aqua hurriedly dashed away the tear that was still on her face, feeling her cheeks redden. There was a long silence. 

“I-it seems reasonable if you are crying, under the circumstances,” Zexion said. He seemed to be addressing the yard rather than her. “And I’ve read that it is better to just let your feelings out rather than, as they say, ‘bottle them up’.” 

“I’m fine,” Aqua said, holding back a sniff. “I’m okay, really. Everything is fine.” 

“Is that so?” Zexion said, turning to pierce her with his eyes. “Because the last I checked, your father was abroad, you were placed in a rather questionable dwelling, and your younger brother has gone missing. By that tally, there are already three things that are in essence, not fine, and there’s another tear on your face even now, so I’d say you are not fine, and really not okay.” Aqua hadn’t even felt the second tear come. She turned away, embarrassed. There was more silence. She wished he’d just go away. 

“When I am upset, I like to think of statistics. They are very satisfying, and are absolute in that they do not change based on your mood. Would that help you feel better?” 

Was Zexion trying to comfort her? That was odd. She shook her head, still not facing him. 

“I suppose that’s not surprising. The others find such behavior to be ‘robotic’. I suppose I must be that way, since excluding myself, over 99% of the members of the Yakuza 13 say it is so. But I don’t really understand the comparison. I am perfectly capable of spontaneous thought, which is something current robots are incapable of.” 

“I think it’s because you don’t have emotions,” Aqua said, phrasing it more rudely than she meant. 

“Does it seem that way? Perhaps I should show my emotions more. I simply thought that others would be burdened by them and decided it best to release them only when and where it will not discomfit anyone.” 

“And that’s exactly it,” Aqua said, turning around. “Uncle Xemnas isn’t emotional either, but he isn’t constantly rattling off numbers or analyzing every little detail to come up with some perfect logic or whatever like you do.” 

“I’m afraid I don’t understand, but there are many things that defy comprehension, so perhaps this is one of them. I just dislike being called a robot. Robots are so… limited.” 

Silence reigned again. Aqua didn’t know what to say. She thought about going back inside, but she wasn’t ready to be in the house again. As uncomfortable as this moment was, it was still better to be out here with Zexion than inside with the fact that Ven was missing hanging all around her like a heavy velvet cloak on a humid summer’s day. Even the thought of facing it made her tear up again, and of course Zexion noticed. 

“Would it help to receive a hug? I’ve read that hugs are comforting when one is upset, though I’ve never found them particularly pleasing. Or perhaps to talk about it? I’ve read that-” 

“Do you read everything?” she found herself snapping angrily, perhaps hoping that if she upset him he’d leave her alone. Instead he continued to look at her levelly. 

“Most things,” he replied calmly. “Books are how I experience things. As a child I was not able to act freely due to certain… obligations and concerns. And then a certain event came to pass that allowed me the freedom to try things for myself, but also left me with no means of finishing my education. Books solved both problems.” 

Aqua felt her curiosity grow, and in spite of her desire to be alone, she asked “And what event was that?” 

“The death of my parents. They died quite suddenly when I was 14.” 

Aqua was stunned. She’d never stopped to think about it before, but it was entirely possible that the Yakuza 13 had once had families. After all, Uncle Roxas had been her mom’s little brother, and Xion had her family, and she supposed she and her brothers and her dad were Xemnas’s family, but it seemed odd that the rest of them could have parents, and maybe siblings and aunts and uncles and cousins. She didn’t expect them to have sprung out of the earth, fully grown and ready for evil or anything, she just didn’t think of them as having been children and grown up all normal. 

“Oh. I never knew that.” 

“It’s not something I really talk about, as in some ways I suppose it was my fault. The people who killed them weren’t there for a double murder. They were there to kidnap an heir and demand a hefty ransom. Except that heir wasn’t home. I was at a school mate’s house to watch the Space Conflicts trilogy as I had never seen it. And when they couldn’t find their target, they began to loot the house, attracting my parents. The intruders pulled a gun, my father tried to fight them for it resulting in my mother being shot, and while he was trying to tend to her they shot him. He died instantly, she died on the way to the hospital. I came home to find my room had been ransacked, my parents were dead, and a horde of money-grubbing relatives was en route to fight over the custody of myself and my siblings. It may not be the same as your current situation, but I assure you it was quite difficult to deal with as well. And while it worked out quite well for me, I do not think your father would approve if you chose the same manner of dealing with things and joined the Yakuza 13.” 

“No, I don’t think he would,” Aqua agreed. 

“Anyways, I think I’d better go back inside. I’d really rather not return to that pandemonium, but the rest of them are hopeless luddites and if they need anything technical done they’ll actually notice I’m not there, and Xemnas gets mad if you skip out on his meetings, however impromptu they may be.” Zexion turned to leave, but paused halfway through the door. 

“If you’d like, I could lend you some books to read. Sometimes when your problems seem overwhelming, the best thing to do is take a break to go on quests in magical lands. And when you’re reading about characters who have to prevent the end of the world, somehow your troubles start to seem a little insignificant.” 

“Oh, no, that’s alright. I don’t really read much outside of school,” Aqua said. 

Zexion stared at her. Aqua could feel the AC-cooled air spilling out into the night and saw bugs gravitating towards the light from inside, but Zexion did not move. 

“In that case, I must choose wisely. There is so much wisdom in books; sometimes there is more wisdom to be found in fiction than in a classroom. The right book at such an hour may be just the guiding light you need.” 

“I’m sure it’ll just be a bother, on top of everything else you have to do.” 

“Nonsense. I already have a few novels in mind. I can stop by tomorrow to give one to you. And if you don’t like it then you can go back to your heathenous ways of minimal reading.” 

Zexion stepped through the door and closed it behind him, leaving her to listen to the crickets and watch the few fireflies that were still around blink in and out of sight. There was just the slightest chill to the evening breeze, reminding her that autumn was almost there. 

Strangely enough, she did feel less like crying now. Zexion was horrible at comforting people, but he’d done his best and that in and of itself was helpful, knowing that someone would try to do something they were bad at for your sake. She wondered idly if it would be acceptable to ask the others about their lives before the Yakuza 13, and what family they’d had. Somehow, they didn’t seem so bad if they had once been normal people like her or any of her friends. 

The door opened again and Marluxia’s head came out. 

“There you are. Your ride is here.” 

Aqua scrambled back inside, racing to collect her backpack and the few things she had gotten out before she’d given up on homework, anxious that she shouldn’t keep anyone waiting. 

Yuna was in the dining room, talking to Demyx. When Aqua arrived, she came over and hugged Aqua, whispering an apology about Ventus. They went out to the car, and only when Aqua saw the clock did she realize how late it was. It was already half past eleven, and she hadn’t even touched her homework. Not that there was anything much, being the first day, but still. It would hardly do to start the year off by failing to complete such a basic assignment as an information worksheet, especially when she was an honors student. She’d have to get that done as soon as they got back to Fantasy. 

As they entered the building, Yuna sent her up the stairs, stopping to knock on the door to Cid’s office. In the upper hallway, everyone was getting ready for bed. Zack and Leon were brushing their teeth in front of a mirror on the wall, and Aerith was braiding her hair while Tifa gargled some mouthwash. Aqua could hear a shower running, but assumed the younger kids must already be in bed. 

“How was school?” Aerith asked. 

“It was… good,” Aqua replied. It hadn’t been particularly good, but she didn’t want to say that. She also didn’t want to say anything about Ven, so she added “I’ve got some homework to finish up. Good night, guys.” 

She saw mild disappointment on their faces as she turned away. Well what did they expect? That she’d become buddy-buddy with them just like that? She hardly knew them, and they weren’t very reputable, and they were the ones who insisted she was a guest to begin with. 

Aqua sat down to her homework, using a textbook as a writing surface and sitting on her bed. But as she looked over the information sheets, she couldn’t make out the words on the page. She saw the letters, but she couldn’t seem to string them together to make out intelligible words. She stared at the paper, willing it to make sense, and willing that in turn to make everything alright. But the worksheets seemed just as garbled, and even if she could make sense of them she couldn’t seem to remember anything about herself other than the fact that her baby brother was missing. Aqua sighed and put the textbook down beside her, leaning back against the wall. 

As she sat there, wondering how long she could last with the way things were, she could hear something happening in the hall. There were hushed whispers, and she heard a voice hissing “but Ventus should have been the safest, staying with them!”, which was followed by multiple shushing sounds. Aqua could guess what had happened. Demyx had told Yuna about Ven, and Yuna had told the rest. In some ways, Aqua was grateful, since it meant they might understand that she needed to be left alone, but at the same time she resented that they were poking into her private affairs. It was a bitter irony, how everyone in her family was leaving her alone, but everyone else wouldn’t let her be. 

* * *

The next morning brought Zack spreading the word to Yuffie and the kids over breakfast, and the promise of a day spent pretending things were normal. It was fine. She could do this. 

She couldn’t wait to get to school, and yet she dreaded it at the same time. She hoped that when she got there, Ven would be waiting, and he’d apologize for causing them so much worry, but she also was petrified that she’d get there and Terra would have vanished too. But then at school Terra was there and Ven wasn’t and she found herself wishing it were the other way around because at least Ven didn’t comfort her one minute and ignore her the next. It was probably what she hated most about Terra: sometimes he was on her side, and he was her best friend, but the moment his friends showed up then it was like he’d put on a pair of special glasses that made her invisible, or worse, into dog poop. 

She managed to make it through the day without too much difficulty. No one asked about Ven; why would they? You didn’t really ask about other people’s families unless it was in comparison, such as “my brother is such a pain, he did this one thing, do your brothers ever do that?” or permission, like “would your dad be okay with us doing this thing?” The only real difficult part was when she had to go talk to Ven’s teacher. She wasn’t sure what excuse she’d make up, but when she got there his teacher was very sympathetic about the sudden onset of his heart condition and would be happy to give her his homework once a week when she came to collect it, and of course he could turn it all in when he got out of the hospital. Aqua marvelled at how smoothly Uncle Xemnas seemed to have covered things up for now. She just wondered what would happen when the truth came out. 

Terra didn’t have aikido today, so he went back to wherever he was staying, while Aqua was picked up by Aunt Xion. When they arrived at the twins’ school, Aqua could see on their faces that they too had been hoping that Ven would be there. In some ways, it amazed Aqua how quickly the two of them had caught on to the gravity of the situation. 

At home there was a book waiting for her, apparently brought over earlier by Zexion. She didn’t feel like reading, so she sat down and plowed through her homework. She was certain she wouldn’t get a good grade, but somehow she didn’t really care. She finished shortly before dinner, and afterwards fell asleep on a couch in the basement, exhausted from worry and a largely sleepless night the day before. She had to be woken up when her ride arrived. Today Cloud drove her, and Aqua was glad of it since he seemed to be one of the adults least inclined to speak. After telling her she could choose whatever radio station she wanted, he didn’t say a word. Aqua ended up turning the radio off since every station seemed to have some stupidly happy song on, or someone wailing lyrically about their broken heart because the guy was in love with the wrong girl or whatever, and at the moment, Aqua just couldn’t take their whining about such trivial and insignificant things as unrequited love. 

Back at Fantasy, Aerith once again asked how her day was. Once again, Aqua simply stated that it was good and went to bed. She let herself fall into a deep darkness, hoping that maybe there would be a light on the other side. Instead, there was only morning, and the rest of the week followed in monotony, with her heart being broken anew every time Ven failed to reappear and classes she couldn’t pay attention to and homework she didn’t really try on and silent rides back to Fantasy where she went to sleep before getting up and doing it all again. 

* * *

When Saturday rolled around, Aqua chose to stay in bed. Maybe if she just lay here long enough, she’d realize it was all a dream and she just needed to wake up and dad would be making crepes and Ven would be at the table, having already called dibs on the first one and preparing to put all the strawberries on it because he loved them so much. 

At some point, the cell phone went off, but Aqua didn’t answer it. It was probably one of her friends, and she couldn’t handle that right now. Her thoughts meandered, and she debated trying to call her father. Of course the house of the relatives he was staying with didn’t have a phone that took international calls so she’d have to call Ojii-san and Obaa-san and leave a message with them, but it would reach dad eventually. But Uncle Xemnas had promised he’d contact her dad, and besides, dad might think her whiny and irresponsible. 

She might have lain there all day had Tifa not intervened. At 11:30, Tifa came crashing into the room, Aerith trailing behind her and protesting. Tifa didn’t waste time with words, and instead yanked off the sheets and picked Aqua up, carrying her out of the room and down the stairs. Aqua tried to protest that she was still in her pajamas, but Tifa only replied that that wasn’t her problem. Tifa didn’t put her down until they’d reached a table in the main room that was laden with bacon, oatmeal, bran muffins, bagels, eggs, and six different flavors of juice. 

“Carbs and protein!” Tifa said. “You’ll need ‘em.” 

Aqua had forgotten about her supposed fighting lesson, and she was not looking forward to it. Somehow though, she didn’t think it wise to say she wasn’t in the mood, as Tifa seemed determined to go through with this. 

Aqua took some bacon and eggs and a muffin, and poured some apple juice. She was almost finished when Cloud and Auron entered, both dressed for exercise and looking somewhat apprehensive. As soon as Aqua was finished, Tifa dragged her back up the stairs to change, and then back down to the ground floor, leading her to a door she’d never noticed which led to another flight of stairs going down. The lights were already on, and when they got to the bottom Aqua could see a large floor covered in mats. In a corner there were various pads strewn about messily, and on one wall there were several cutouts of human silhouettes that were peppered with holes. It reminded Aqua of the time when Eraqus had allowed her and her brothers to go with Xigbar to the Yakuza 13’s shooting range. 

Cloud and Auron were stretching on one side of the room, and Auron called Aqua over to do the same. Tifa didn’t stretch, but Aqua agreed that she didn’t really seem to need to. Instead, the woman paced back and forth like some kind of caged beast, clearly eager to start. 

As soon as they were done stretching, Tifa announced she would be teaching Aqua a basic throw for when attacked from behind. To demonstrate, she grabbed the nearest person- Auron, and spun around so he was behind her and used her hips to lift him as she pulled him so that he went flying over her and landed squarely on his back. 

“Now you try,” Tifa said. While Aqua had seen what had happened, she wasn’t really sure how to copy it. As she stared, Cloud asked “Um, shouldn’t you teach her how to take a fall first?” 

“You don’t need to be able to fall to throw someone,” Tifa said. 

“Yes, but a throw like you just gave me would have winded someone who can’t take a fall, and if they tried to catch themselves they’d have broken an arm,” Auron grumbled, getting to his feet. 

“And your point is?” Tifa asked. 

“The point is that she may end up encountering someone who knows how to throw people as well,” Cloud said patiently. 

“Don’t worry. I’ve already thought of that. The throw I’m teaching her is a great counter-throw as well, so we’ll work on that later on in the lesson.” 

Cloud and Auron looked at each other and sighed. 

“Um, I actually know how to fall,” Aqua said. “The whole slapping the ground for shock absorption and all, right?” 

“So, Xion taught you that? Good,” Auron said. 

Being praised for knowing something felt good, and it made Aqua realize that she had gone all week without a teacher say “good” in that same manner, with a small proud smile accompanied by a slight nod. She’d rarely gone a day in her life without eliciting such a response in school, yet here she’d just gone an entire week. She wondered if the other students had appreciated her silence, if maybe they’d found her annoying the whole time for being a know-it-all. Terra seemed to think that way about her, why wouldn’t her classmates? 

With a little more instruction, Aqua was able to complete the throw with some success. It was satisfying, seeing Cloud landing on the mat and realizing he’d fallen because she’d actually thrown him and not just tripped him again. However, Tifa wasn’t impressed. She began to lecture Aqua about everything she’d done wrong, from not getting low enough to not pulling enough and using her back too much. 

“What if your attacker is heavier, huh? Cloud’s practically a feather! Now try throwing Auron like that, since I guarantee you it won’t work. Auron’s center of gravity is way higher than yours, and yet you’re still not getting low enough that if you tried to throw him you’d successfully off-balance him.” 

As Tifa ranted, Cloud got to his feet and patted Aqua’s shoulder. 

“It was alright,” he said quietly, then added in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear “I’m gonna go get some water. Try not to break anything while I’m gone.” He flicked his hair out of his face and disappeared up the stairs. 

As the lesson went on, they were joined by Yuffie, who was fed up with her math homework, and then Zack, who complained that Cid was nagging him about forgetting to add dryer sheets to the laundry, and then Leon. Leon didn’t give an excuse for joining them, but since he asked Cloud how he could stand sharing a room with “those two little monsters”, Aqua assumed it was to escape Raijin and Seifer. So far, Aqua hadn’t seen very much of her housemates, and it was refreshing the way they got along. They teased each other effortlessly, almost like how she and Terra and Ven used to be. And Auron watched it all, pretending to be grumpy but there was a smile in his eyes, just like her own dad. And as her lesson went on, they included her, gently poking fun at the face she made as she tried to throw people and when she had a good throw, laughing that she was trying to make pancakes out of them. She found herself laughing with them, enjoying herself. 

Aqua turned to call Ven over to come and join them, and that’s when reality came back. One moment she was laughing as Zack tried to break free of a hold Tifa had him in, and the next thing she knew she was standing there with tears running down her cheeks, and Tifa was letting go of Zack to come and hug her while she cried. She heard Cloud challenging Zack to spar, and Auron telling Yuffie to go get some tissues, and then Tifa had guided her to the corner and was having her sit in a makeshift chair Leon had created out of the pads. 

“I’m sorry,” Aqua sobbed. “I’m fine. Really. I just-” 

“Your brother?” Leon asked, and Aqua nodded. Leon and Tifa gave her sympathetic looks. 

“They’ll find him,” Auron said. “The Yakuza 13. There’s some people I’ve been looking for, and they’ve been helping me out. We have been at it a couple years, but there’s a lot of them I’m trying to find.” 

“Yeah. You guys are under their protection, and you don’t touch people under their protection,” Tifa said. “Like that thing 10 years ago, or that time with Twilight Thorn, or-” 

“What happened 10 years ago?” Aqua asked. That was when the twins had been taken in. Her dad had always said that the Yakuza 13 had just decided to look after the twins, but it seemed rather unlikely to her, and she’d always suspected that there was a little more to the story than anyone would let on. 

“Oh, um, n-nothing,” Leon said in a way that indicated it was very much not nothing. “Just a falling out they had.” 

“Anyways,” Auron said with a pointed glare at the two of them, “if whoever took your brother didn’t know the Yakuza 13 was looking out for him, they do by now. And so they’re probably sweating quite a bit wondering how to return your brother without getting killed.” 

“If giving Ven back is going to get them killed, then why would they?” Aqua asked. 

“Because not giving him back would be scarier,” Tifa said. “I mean, if Ven’s still missing when your dad gets back, well, let’s just say your dad is pretty scary when he’s mad. I only saw it once, and it was ages ago, but I still remember it like it was yesterday.” 

“You know my dad?” Aqua asked. 

“Oh yeah. Eraqus is a great guy,” Yuffie said, returning with a pack containing three tissue boxes. “He helped Cid with the paperwork to open this place up, and when Hades tried to get Auron arrested before, your dad had him off the hook even before the evidence was proven to be fake. The Yakuza 13 may own this place, but we took you in ‘cuz of your dad, not them.” 

Once again, Aqua found herself remembering her arrival at Fantasy. Zexion had referred to her as Eraqus’s daughter, and had asked what Cid thought “her father” would think. It seemed that her dad had more influence than she’d known, and that these people respected him for it. It was pleasing to know that they likely thought of her as “Eraqus’s daughter”, and not “Xemnas’s cousin”. 

Once Aqua had calmed down and drunk some water, her lesson continued. Eventually, Cid stuck his head down the stairs to remind everyone that they were opening in an hour, and everyone headed back to the ground floor. Aqua got to see yet another unfamiliar room, as Tifa and Yuffie showed her into a locker room next to the green door she remembered Rikku mentioning. According to Yuffie, it was technically staff only and so she and Aqua shouldn’t have been in there, but as there were a lot of people who needed to shower and the were extra showers in the locker rooms, times like this were an exception. The shower wasn’t herbal bath water after a massage, but it was still quite pleasant, and an excellent place to think about things. Perhaps she was being a little too standoffish to these hosts. Keeping her distance from them wouldn’t bring her dad back from Japan any sooner, and it wouldn’t find Ven. It would only make her time away from home more miserable, and so why not reciprocate their efforts to be friends? 

After the shower, Aqua and Yuffie returned to the second story and Aqua headed off to start on the homework she hadn’t yet touched. As she pulled books out of her bag, she found another volume in there as well: the novel Zexion had lent her, which she still hadn’t opened. She wondered if she ought to return it unread, but she found herself growing curious as to what he had thought she might enjoy. Probably something really literary, or maybe he’d stopped in the young adult section and grabbed the first silly centaur romance he’d found for her to read. They were certainly popular, but she didn’t see what was so hot about half man, half horse creatures, especially since she knew enough of Greek mythology to know that they weren’t very romantic at all. She also did feel that since she’d resolved to be nice to people who were being nice to her even if she didn’t think too much of them, that by not reading the novel she’d just be being a hypocrite. 

With a sigh she picked the novel up, thinking she’d try and get through a chapter before she started her homework. A quick glance at the summary proved it was indeed young adult fiction, though there didn’t seem to be any centaurs at least. With some skepticism, she opened to chapter one. 

The grumbling of her stomach interrupted her reading. She was loathe to put the book down, but she did need food, as she’d only had one meal so far that day. A look at the clock told her it was already almost 8. Had she really been reading for two and a half hours? 

Aqua was torn. She did need to work on her homework, but she also wanted to finish the book. Still, homework was supposed to come first, so she’d get started after dinner. 

Aqua headed down to the kitchen, and found a plate on the counter, covered in plastic wrap with a sticky note with her name on it attached. There was also a handmade card signed by Fuujin, Raijin, Vivi, and Seifer, belatedly welcoming her to Fantasy and offering condolences about Ven. After Aqua reheated the meal and ate, she rebelliously washed her own dishes before heading upstairs to do her homework. Since the kids were all in the lounge, she thanked them with hugs, which caused Seifer to redden and Raijin to complain about cooties. 

Afterwards, she finished her homework in record time so she could dive back into the book. She was still reading when Aerith came in after finishing work at 1:30. Sunday was spent in much the same way, with more self defense lessons and reading. 

Monday was a fresh start for Aqua. While she decided to remain quieter in her classes, she was more attentive, and when she approached her biology teacher to clarify something she hadn’t understood on the homework, she could see the relief on the woman’s face. Aqua’s friends mentioned that she’d seemed gloomy the previous week, but that she seemed better now. Aqua laughed and claimed she’d had some bad pms to dismiss the issue, because the truth was still too horrible to share, and things most certainly weren’t better, not really. She’d just decided to make the best of it. Her resolve was nearly shaken though, when, in passing, Terra made a bitter comment about her seeming cheerful, sending her rushing to the bathroom to make sure no tears escaped where people might see. He didn’t need to accuse her of not caring about Ven, since she knew what he meant. But being depressed wasn’t going to help anything. 

After school, she was picked up by Luxord. When they got to the house, she tracked down Zexion, who was, not surprisingly, reading in the den. She had business to take care of. 

“You,” she said. He turned the page and finished the sentence he was on before glancing up at her. 

“That book you lent me? Absolutely awful. I can’t believe you made me read that crap.” 

“Sorry to hear it,” Zexion said, and his eyes returned to the page. 

“I mean, what about the rest of the series?!” Aqua exclaimed. “I need to know what happens next!” 

“Second shelf from the top of the blue bookcase, third book from the right,” Zexion said without looking up. Aqua went over and found the book he’d sent her for. It was the second book in the series, and next to it were the third, fourth, and fifth books. She turned to look at Zexion who was still reading, his face completely blank. 

“You did that on purpose,” she accused. He turned another page. 

“You purposely chose a series, so I’d have to read all of them to find out what happens. How dare you, you- you-” Aqua struggled to find an insult. 

“Blackguard? Reprobate? Villain?” 

“Hmph.” 

“Or were you thinking more along the line of ‘you Yakuza 13’?” Aqua blushed. 

“Thought so. For your information, only about 63% of our organization’s doings involve criminal activity. A good 16% of what we do is even related to charities. Compare that to some of our rivals, and you’ll see we’re not quite the depraved psychopaths you presume us to be.” 

“S-sorry. It’s just…” Aqua trailed off. 

“It’s a rather normal assumption, albeit a rather vexing one. And do not tell that pompous moron Vexen I used the word vexing. He seems to think that since it sounds like his name he has ownership to it or something. Personally I think the similar phonetics are because it is such an apt description of him that his parents believed it to be the perfect name.” 

“I thought you said you never experienced normal, so how would you know what a normal assumption is?” 

Zexion rubbed the bridge of his nose. 

“Touche. I know it is a normal assumption because over 97% of people have that same opinion. It’s all part of our reputation, and Xemnas had Luxord spread it very carefully. If anything, you should be grateful for it, as it’s what has kept you and your family safe from our enemies up until now. Not everyone has moral dilemmas when it comes to striking at those associated with their rivals, and the Yakuza 13 has some very profitable territory, gaining us several nemeses.” 

“Not like Uncle Xemnas would care if anything happened to us,” Aqua said, though she supposed Uncle Roxas and Aunt Xion would. 

“On the contrary. According to Xigbar, Xemnas cares immensely about the wellbeing of you and your family. And I’ve noticed a 10% decrease in Xemnas’s focus since last Tuesday, which suggests this is true. Furthermore, since I’m sure you must have assumed the rest of us only care if Xemnas does, you are incorrect. Eraqus has been a great boon to us, and you and your brothers have as well. You have all been instrumental in the raising of Sora and Vanitas, and we will not soon forget it.” 

Aqua found herself speechless. It was a little embarrassing to be read so easily, particularly by someone who so completely lacked social skills. And now that she thought about it, they tended to give her lots of space whenever she was over. She’d always thought it was because her dad didn’t want them around her and her brothers too much, but she realized that she’d seen Ven getting a turn being thrown in the air by Lexaeus alongside Vanitas and Sora, and she’d seen some of the parents join Terra when he was practicing his aikido kata, or give him suggestions for improvement. But aside from necessary interactions, Aqua realized she hardly saw the parents even when she was at the twins’ house. 

“Everyone’s noticed, haven’t they?” she whispered, mortified. 

“Noticed what?” 

“That I… I’m not…” 

“Well Sora and Vanitas helped point it out. I never realized how very astute children are until helping raise those two. It’s quite fascinating, the things a child notices that escape an adult’s attention. But Sora told us that he finds it sad that you don’t like us, since he likes you and he likes us and so he wants everyone to get along.” 

“Is that why everyone’s been so nice since dad went away? Like Aunt Larxene with the girl talk and Uncle Lexaeus with the knitting?” 

“What’s this about Larxene and girl talk?” Zexion asked, frowning. “Lexaeus knitting is nothing out of the ordinary; I myself have at least three sweaters he’s knit me since he doesn’t think I dress warmly enough in the winter, but Larxene is so unfeminine that 9 out of 10 Yakuza 13 members thinks she’s a man, and 4 out of 5 of those who realize she’s a woman routinely forget it. So surely Larxene would not participate in such a pastime.” 

“She wanted to have a spa day and talk about… girl stuff.” 

“How very odd. When was this?” 

“When we first got here. After Roxas left us to unpack.” 

“Ah. Then that is more likely because of your cousin than… let me rephrase that. Larxene’s behavior was more likely due to the fact that once your stay here was confirmed, Xemnas held a meeting to address said fact and to make sure we made your time of residency comfortable.” 

“So Xemnas told you guys to be nice to us?” 

“That was the gist of the meeting, yes.” 

“But why?” 

“I would have believed you to be more intelligent than that. Have you not been paying attention?” 

“No, I get it, I do! It’s just… that’s… I guess I’ve been really… unobservant.” 

“The things under our noses are the ones that are hardest to see.” 

“Is that an old saying?” 

“Not that I know of. But I’m sure some culture has something similar. I could find out for you if you’d like?” 

“No thank you. But thanks. I think you’ve helped me realize some things that I ought to have noticed a long time ago. You’ve been really upfront with me, so thank you. A-and… sorry... about my assumptions.” 

“There’s nothing to thank me for. I simply lack subtlety, and find it easier to be candid and say things straight out.” 

“Still, I appreciate it. A lot of adults won’t say those kinds of things, like I’m not mature enough or something.” 

“Ah yes. Patronizing. I found it quite infuriating during my youth, so I refuse to do the same to others. It is maddening to hear people talk to children as if they have no intelligence. But of course Luxord is always telling me that the boys won’t understand the way I talk to them, even though they do, and- sorry. I got a little carried away.” 

Aqua laughed. “It’s alright. I know what you mean. It is pretty annoying when people use those overly bright voices with kids. Our neighbor still talks to us that way.” 

Zexion gave her a sympathetic look. 

“Anyways, I should go do my homework,” Aqua said. Zexion returned to his book without saying anything. Aqua turned to go, then stopped. 

“Um, if… If I did need to talk about things, would- would you listen?” Somehow, after discussing her discomfort with the Yakuza 13 and their awareness of it, she felt a bit more comfortable talking to Zexion, and also a little less comfortable so suddenly approaching the others. And she really did appreciate that he had talked to her like a mature human being. 

“I would think Roxas or someone else would be better to talk to, but I would listen if that would help you cope.” 

“Thanks.” 

Aqua went off to do her homework. Between the conversation she’d just had and what had happened over the weekend, she was wondering if she was as kind a person as she’d thought she was. She’d always thought of herself as nice, but if she judged people without even giving them a chance, was she really so friendly after all? 

* * *

When Aqua woke up the next morning, she knew there was something special about that day, but she couldn’t remember what. She tried to think. Well it was one week since the day Ven had disappeared, which was significant, though she was sure that whatever made today special was supposed to be a good thing, something to celebrate. It was more than two weeks since dad left, so maybe he’d come home, but he’d also said he might stay longer. Wouldn’t he call if he was coming home? 

It was only after she got to school and was writing the date on a quiz for math that Aqua realized why today was special: it was her birthday. At home, birthdays weren’t that big a deal. Back when their mother was alive she would go all out for birthdays- she’d put up streamers, get balloons, invite friends and family over, make cakes for both Terra and Aqua so they could each have their favorite flavor. She’d also take the day off work and spend it with Terra and Aqua. But then she’d died, and Terra and Aqua had agreed to not trouble their father and had asked to not celebrate their birthday anymore. He did still get them gifts and he’d bring home some special treat- cupcakes or ice cream or mochi, but it was a very simple sort of celebration. They’d tried to do more for Ven since it didn’t seem fair that he wouldn’t get the big celebrations they had, but he too had asked to keep it simple. So it wasn’t a big deal that it was her birthday. Except that Ven was still missing, and somehow she’d thought dad would be home by now. Obviously if someone was sick it was right to take care of them, but it really didn’t seem fair that he couldn’t be home for his children’s birthday, even if it wasn’t a big celebration. And she and Terra were turning 16. She hadn’t really expected much, but everyone talked about sweet sixteen such that she’d kinda hoped for this year to be a little different. 

At lunch, Aqua thought about going up to Terra to wish him a happy birthday. But knowing her brother, he’d find it embarrassing that she had talked to him. She still ended up staring over in the direction of where he was sitting with his friends, entertaining the idea of twin telepathy and hoping that maybe she could still wish him a happy birthday with a single glance. But Terra either didn’t feel her gaze or was ignoring her, because he didn’t look up. However, Lefou did. Aqua might not have noticed, except then he nudged Gaston, and she saw him nod her way. She quickly looked away, hoping this wouldn’t somehow lead to an argument with Terra. She didn’t want to be arguing with him on their birthday. 

Daisy had noticed where she was looking. 

“Worried about your brother hanging out with that crowd?” she asked. 

“What? No. Terra can take care of himself.” 

“Well you should be,” Horace said. “Worried that is.” 

“Why’s that?” Daisy asked eagerly. She may have been an excellent student council vice president, but she loved listening to gossip. 

“Well, I heard that Huey, Dewey, and Louie were at the back gate of the school this morning, and they saw Aqua’s brother with a drug dealer.” 

Daisy gasped. “A drug dealer?” she asked, her voice high pitched with excitement and a little louder than Aqua would have liked. 

“No way,” Aqua countered. “Terra would never do that. He knows better than to do anything illegal.” 

“Well you can go ask the triplets, because they seemed pretty certain about what they saw. They said he was with Perilous Pete. That guy’s famous, not to mention he’s nothing but trouble.” 

“I don’t need to ask the triplets, because I know Terra would not do drugs!” Aqua exclaimed, and angrily left the table, even though her lunch wasn’t fully eaten. It didn’t matter. She wasn’t hungry much these days anyway. 

Unfortunately, Horace’s words weren’t so easily dismissed. They buzzed around in her head, over and over. She tried to reassure herself that Terra was better than that, but she couldn’t help but think it might just be true. In recent times, Terra had done some things she would have thought he never would. Nothing bad like drugs, but if Gaston and his lot could pressure Terra into being someone he wasn’t, then who was to say they couldn’t get him into drugs as well? 

Aqua tried to read the book she was borrowing, but even though she was in the midst of a harrowing scene she couldn’t focus on it. Frustrated, she gave up. There wasn’t much time before lunch ended so she might as well just go to her next class. But when she got to her feet they ended up taking her instead to the senior hall, and a locker that had love notes sticking out of the slats and a signed picture of the locker’s occupant himself. She wasn’t sure what she intended to do here. Better to just leave. 

“Well look who’s here,” a brash voice called out. Gaston. Aqua felt her face twitch, and took a deep breath, imagining a tranquil pond. She turned to face Gaston, and was glad to see that he only had a few of his cohorts with him, and Terra wasn’t one of them. 

“What brings you here?” Gaston asked. 

“I was just wandering,” Aqua replied calmly. Even if Gaston was getting Terra involved in drugs, confronting him wouldn’t do anything. 

“Like your eyes were wandering at lunch?” Gaston asked, causing Lefou to giggle. 

“Nice one Gaston. No one’s as witty as you,” Lefou said. 

“I know,” Gaston told his friend. “Now, Ida, don’t think I haven’t noticed your little crush on me.” Aqua was speechless. She wasn’t surprised Gaston didn’t remember her name right, since he was so in love with himself that no one else mattered, but even if he thought he was so great that everyone loved him as much as he did, how could he possibly mistake her open contempt for him as being a crush? “And I’ll admit, you’ve got enough of the right features to pass for attractive.” Gaston’s friends laughed and made some lewd gestures that made it all too clear which features Gaston was referring to. Aqua imagined it as a breeze over the pond in her mind’s eye, one which was short lived and left only ripples that vanished quickly. Once again, the calm returned. 

“I’m… flattered, I’m sure,” Aqua began. “But-” 

“Of course you’re flattered. Everyone is flattered by me,” Gaston said, and flexed. Aqua took a deep breath and thought of the pond. She couldn’t beat around the bush with these guys. If anything was less than perfectly direct, they’d reinterpret it as some sort of compliment. 

“Are you getting my brother into drugs?” 

“Why? You want some too? I always thought you could use a little loosening up.” 

“Just answer the question, please.” 

“No. As a matter of fact, he’s going to be getting them for us,” Gaston said with a smirk. Aqua had to stop herself from yelling at him. She bit her cheek as she took yet another deep breath. She was getting angry, and it wouldn’t do her any good. She tried to think of the tranquil pond, but all she could think of was thunderclouds. It was past time to walk away. 

“Sorry for taking up your time,” she said, and made to leave. 

“Woah, where are you going, Abby?” Gaston said, grabbing her arm. 

“It’s Aqua,” she corrected, turning back around and yanking her arm free. “And you leave Terra alone. He’s too good for you pigs.” 

“Aw, now don’t be like that,” Gaston said, moving to put an arm around her shoulders. Aqua ducked out from under the arm. 

“If you touch me again, I will file a sexual harassment complaint.” 

“But I haven’t been harassing you.” 

“Sure you have. According to the student code of conduct, any time you touch another person without their permission, especially if it makes them uncomfortable, which I am, then it is sexual harassment.” 

Gaston and his friends laughed. “Do you hear this?” he howled. 

“It may interest you to know that students who violate the code of conduct can be suspended from all extracurricular activities. In other words, you wouldn’t be able to play football.” That shut them up. 

“They’d never take me off the team,” Gaston growled. 

“Wanna bet? I’m a member of the student council and an honor student. You are an arrogant pompous who is only passing his classes because the teachers are grading on a curve to keep the football coaches happy. I’ll have the student council and the teachers on my side. You will have the football team. And if we have to take things to court, I happen to know a very good lawyer. My dad. So go ahead. Try and touch me again.” The two of them stood their ground, glaring, as the bell rang to end lunch. Gaston looked away first, clicking his tongue in annoyance. 

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get to class,” Aqua said, and turned on her heel. She walked purposefully down the hall, but as soon as she turned the corner, she ran. What had she just done? 

* * *

After school, Aqua was waiting in the usual spot for their ride, when Terra came storming up, clearly outraged. She could see Gaston and his cronies watching from a distance, clearly the orchestrators of Terra’s anger. Maybe Terra was right to be angry. But then again, she’d tried to avoid confrontation. Gaston was the one who had to make it a fight. 

“What the hell, Aqua?” Terra exploded. “Why are you messing with my friends?” 

Aqua thought about asking just what exactly “messing with his friends” entailed, as she suspected they hadn’t told him what really happened. 

“I was not messing with them Terra. I just heard a rumor and wanted to make sure they’re not pressuring you to do drugs.” Terra looked taken aback, but he was too angry to just back off. 

“So what, you have to know everything I do now? Is that it? Are you spying on me? Did Dad ask you to do this?” 

“Terra, that’s-” 

“Well I’ve got a newsflash for you Aqua. Dad’s not here! He left us to deal with things on our own, so stop sitting around waiting to tattle on me! Or since you seem to have forgotten, perhaps I should remind you that we’ve got other things to worry about!” 

“I haven’t forgotten, Terra. I’m worried about Ven too! But right now, there’s nothing we can do, and yelling at each other and being gloomy won’t change anything! And one more thing, Terra! I am not spying on you for dad, even though maybe I should because the way you behave he would have every right to be concerned! People are saying you’ve been hanging out with a drug dealer for crying out loud!” 

“Hanging out with a drug dealer doesn’t mean I’m involved with drugs! Just because I’m not Ms. Perfect, Honors Student, Student Council, Teacher’s Pet, you, doesn’t mean I’m a druggie! So why don’t you just leave me alone!” 

Now it was Aqua’s turn to be taken aback. How could she have been so stupid? Maybe Horace had been right, but she also had been right to say Terra would never do drugs. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, and Terra opened his mouth to argue back, only to realize she’d stopped arguing. “You’re right. I should have trusted you. I just- I guess I was worrying about the wrong things. Sorry. I hope I didn’t ruin your birthday.” 

Terra stood in stunned silence. Over from where Gaston’s group was watching, a cheer broke out. “Ter-RA! Ter-RA! Ter-RA!” They seemed to think he’d won this round. Whatever. It didn’t matter what the score was. If she was wrong, then Aqua should apologize, and she’d just done that. She hoped if Terra was wrong he would do the same. 

A car pulled up, blaring music. The driver was wearing aviator sunglasses and singing along. He sounded good, and Aqua realized it must be a song Demyx really liked if he wasn’t making an effort to sing it badly. She hoisted her backpack onto her shoulders and got in the back seat, figuring she’d let Terra take the front. But Terra got in on the other side. He didn’t say anything, but he did put his hand on hers, just for a moment. 

Demyx turned in the seat to look back at them, tilting his head to look over the top of his sunglasses. 

“So are you guys ready for some fun?” 

* * *

“Some fun” turned out to be a party the Sora and Vanitas’s parents had planned for them. It was odd, since Aqua hadn’t expected her wish for something special to come true, let alone in such a manner as her unconventional “relatives” throwing a celebration. 

“Ideally we’d have your old man and little bro here,” Xigbar told her and Terra apologetically as they took the sight of the house decorated with streamers and balloons and their aunts and uncles wearing party hats, “but I’m afraid we couldn’t finagle that one. Trust me, we tried.” 

“What in the…?” Terra asked, overwhelmed. Aqua understood the feeling. 

“You’re turning 16. That’s a big deal,” Luxord informed them. 

“This is a pitiful excuse for what a sweet sixteen SHOULD be,” Larxene muttered. 

“Oh come on, Eraqus already said we can’t buy them cars,” Axel replied. 

“Obviously. They cannot even get their licenses until he returns,” Saix said blandly, which caused Axel to grab the locks of hair on either side of his face and attempt to tie a knot in them. 

“We don’t celebrate birthdays,” Terra said. 

“This year you do,” Xaldin insisted, and neither Terra nor Aqua felt inclined to disagree with him. Somehow, the party hat made him more imposing than usual. 

So Aqua and Terra let their aunts and uncles treat them to bobbing for apples and a ring toss, and then they took turns playing card games, which were all rather intense. Aqua wasn’t sure she’d ever felt so terrified playing “Go Fish” before, though when she saw how things were going where Sora and some of their uncles were playing “Crazy Eights” over in the corner the game she was caught up in seemed quite tame. Afterwards there was a feast that Vexen and Lexaeus had apparently spent all day on, using not only the kitchen at Sora and Vanitas’s house but also the kitchens of all the nearby Yakuza 13-owned houses. The cake in particular was a masterpiece that Lexaeus had really outdone himself with. After the candles were blown out, Aqua and Terra found themselves being bombarded with more presents than they knew what to do with. For Terra there were spare uniforms for aikido, some ankle weights he could train with, and some dumbbells which he was told could stay at the twins’ house until Eraqus got back, which was a relief since it was a set and contained more than 100 lbs of weights. The two of them were also given matching wrist bands that they could use to wipe sweat off with, and water bottles as well. For Aqua, there was a makeup kit that Larxene insisted she needed, a few face masks, and a locket containing a photo of her parents on one side and a photo of her brothers on the other. 

Eventually, she and Terra both had to return to their temporary homes. It surprised Aqua how many of her uncles and aunts hugged them goodbye, and wished them a happy birthday. The hugs were warm, and she wished they lasted longer, since she realized that they made her feel safe. And somehow, that feeling, however brief, was the best of the gifts they gave her. 

* * *

The next day dawned like any day after a birthday: disappointing. It had been warm for September so far, but the day after Terra and Aqua’s birthday was gray and foggy. It was like a visual representation of the mood that had been surrounding them recently; a feeling which had gone away in the cheer of the party yesterday afternoon and which she had optimistically thought might be gone for good since now that she was a year older she could be a new self, and things would turn around too. But here was another day where things were still bleak, and she could feel her easygoing attitude from yesterday evening being crushed under the weight of the thick gloom outside. 

They had to leave early since the fog meant driving slowly and carefully, but they all made it to school. Aqua only barely made it to her first period on time though. The air was heavy, and more than one student was nodding off. Even the teacher seemed more inclined to sleep, yawning several times over the course of the class and not bothering to wake up the students who did succumb to their soporific desires. 

It was a sleepy morning, so much so that Aqua almost didn’t see the note that fell onto her desk at the beginning of history. She stared at it blankly, trying to comprehend what it was for. She reached out slowly and picked it up, opening it and trying to make sense of the words inside. 

“Go to the library during study hall. It’s about Ven.” 

The note could only be from Terra. He was sitting in his seat and leaning forward, but his gaze was far more alert than anyone in the room. Something was up. She wondered what she’d find in the library. 

Study hall was right after history, but the clock seemed to have broken, as the second hand took hours to move around the clock, or so it seemed to Aqua. Finally, history ended and she went to the library. But upon arrival she realized that she didn’t know where in the library to go. Was there a book she should check out? Another note? Maybe she should sign out a computer? 

Movement flickered at the back of the room, at the edge of the stacks. Terra. He waved Aqua over, and she knew this must be big, if Terra was actually going to talk to her at school.


	21. Terra's Trials: Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Abduction, Mentions of drugs, Driving without a license, Hinted violence

The next morning Terra found his new conviction easier said than done. He woke up worried about Ven and had to resist the urge to call someone for an update on the search. Especially after seeing Maleficent at breakfast. 

“So Terra, I hear you little brother Ventus is missing. That must be so upsetting for you. Do you know what’s being done about it?” Maleficent asked in a polite voice. 

Terra choked on his toast, surprised that Maleficent knew about what happened to Ven. As Terra swallowed water to stop the coughing, Maleficent stared on in curiosity. “Uh, my Aunts and Uncles are looking into it.” 

“I hope they got outside help.” Maleficent said calmly. “Xemnas is quite the imbecile when it comes to personal matters.” 

Terra’s gaze locked with Maleficent’s then flickered down; talking with her always seemed to throw him off balance. “I’m sure they’re doing their best.” 

Maleficent hummed in reply and the matter was dropped. The conversation returned to more mundane things such as how Terra was adjusting to living with them and how his and Pete’s day at school was yesterday. 

At school, everything was normal. Terra attended classes and his friends joked, but it felt wrong. Ven was missing. His world was in chaos but the world outside continued like it always had. Not being able to stomach being around his friends with his thoughts wrapped up with Ven, Terra ate lunch outside even though that was a privilege for seniors only. He didn’t even bother telling his friends about Ven, he just wasn’t in the mood for how they would respond. On the way back to Maleficent’s he received a text from Roxas that read, 

_‘No news on Ven’s location, but we’re still searching’_

The rest of the week went by the same. Morning, breakfast, and talk with Maleficent if she wasn’t busy, next eight hours were dedicated to school, the rest of the time was spent on homework if he had any, a workout to stay in shape and whatever else he could think of to keep his mind occupied. This routine was interrupted on Thursday when Pete breezed into his room without a single knock. 

“Heya, Terra! How’s it going?” Pete exclaimed, hiding his arms behind his back. 

Terra looked up from his chemistry homework, both annoyed and relieved for this distraction from the formulas. “What do you want Pete?” He asked suspiciously. 

“Ask not what you can do for me, but what I can do for you.” Pete enthused. 

“And what can you do for me?” Terra asked flatly. 

Pete shot Terra a conspiratorial smile. “I know just the thing to help you relax from all your troubles.” 

Terra brought his eyebrows together. “And what would that be?” 

“Tada!” With an eyebrow waggle Pete brought his arms out in front of him, revealing what he had been hiding. 

“You want me to do drugs.” Terra said incredulously. 

“Aw, you make that sound like a bad thing. This here isn’t any of the hard-stuff, just something to get you relaxed.” Pete soothed. 

“It’s still illegal, so no.” Terra said firmly. 

Pete harrumphed. “Fine, have it your way then. More for me.” 

As Pete was about to reach his door Terra called out, “Wait Pete.” Pete turned around and Terra gave him an awkward, but sincere smile, “Thanks, for trying to help.” 

“Aw shucks, it was nothing.” Pete blustered. “Just thought you and I could use a little company, the manor can be quite lonely.” 

“Maybe some other time, we could hang out? Without the drugs.” Terra said. 

“Hmph, we’ll see. It might ruin my reputation to hang out with the likes of you.” Pete snarked, but there was a smile behind the words. 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Terra said with a smile. 

When Pete left the smile remained on Terra’s face as he continued with his chemistry homework. It was nice knowing that someone else outside of the family knew about what happened to Ven and was concerned about making sure he was handling it alright. 

That feeling slowly began to fade as the weekend came and went with no signs or clues to where Ven could be. 

Monday was a wake-up call for Terra in a different way. He had headed back to his locker to grab a book he needed for study hall when he happened to overhear a conversation on the other side of the lockers. 

“Man, what is up with that Terra lately?” Terra froze, that was one of his friends from lunch, Bonzai. 

“What do you mean?” Another voice asked. That was Shenzi, a cheerleader and possibly dating Bonzai. 

“Terra’s always been an annoying goody-two shoes, but his mopey act has just been grating on my nerves!” Bonzai complained. “I wish Gaston would just get rid of him already.” 

Terra heard Ed giggle in agreement. 

“Doesn’t Gaston want him for something though?” Shenzi questioned. 

That was a slight clang which Terra interpreted as Bonzai kicking a locker. “Yeah, but that was making sure Terra stayed on the team, since we’ve been doing so much better since he joined. But now he isn’t even in football and Gaston still has him around.” 

“Well I heard that Gaston has found another use for him that he’s working on.” Shenzi said. 

Was that how his friends thought of him? Unable to contain himself, Terra punched his locker in anger. The resounding clang caused the trio to go quiet and Terra fled, not wanting to get caught eavesdropping. 

Terra stewed over this information during his study hall period but came to no conclusions. Lunch was after this and Terra didn’t want to confront Gaston in front of everybody. Besides, Bonzai, Shenzi, and Ed weren’t that close to Gaston, so who’s to say they actually knew what he was thinking? They could have been spouting petty rumors they had heard. The uncertainty left Terra feeling frustrated. 

At lunchtime Terra listened to his friends more closely than before, searching for any signs that they were using him or that they didn’t view him as a friend. But their chatter was the same as always. He was so used to hanging out with them he had no idea if their jokes were meant to be mean or just what they usually did. He happened to look over and see Aqua laughing with her friends and found himself becoming irrational angry. Here he was worrying about Ven and stressing over whether his friends were truly friends and Aqua was having fun! Wasn’t she worried too? 

Meeting at the garbage cans to dump their trays was a coincidence and Terra wasn’t going to say anything. But something spiteful inside of him couldn’t keep him from saying bitterly “At least someone doesn’t have any worries.” 

He immediately regretted it when he saw the hurt on Aqua’s face, but he wasn’t going to apologize. Aqua had walked away after his comment and Terra wasn’t going to appear weak and chase after her. 

When the day ended Terra was still in a terrible mood. The aura around was so palpable that even Pete, who loved to complain about his day, stayed quiet once Terra got into the car. Back at the manor he couldn’t resist stomping most of the way back to his room. He wasn’t in there long before Pete barged in. 

“Alright Terra, you’re-a comin’ with me.” He declared. 

“What?” was all Terra managed to get out before Pete had him by the arm and was dragging him out of the room. 

“You’re in need of some fun, and imma gonna be the one to give it to you.” Pete exclaimed. 

Terra scrabbled to place his feet so he could brace himself and pull his arm out of Pete’s hold but he had no success. “Fun? You’re kidnapping me for some fun?!” Terra’s voice went up as he spoke, ending in a squeak. 

“Sure am! You’ve been ridiculously tense and jumpy and since you won’t do anything illegal we’re goin’ out for some good ol’ fashioned fun.” 

“I’m not sure I want to know what you consider enjoyable.” Terra murmured grumpily. “But fine, I’ll go with you. So will you let me go now?” 

Pete let go of Terra’s arm and he yanked it back with a glare, but kept walking. “Will you at least tell me what we’re going to do?” 

“We’re goin’ racin’!” Pete exclaimed. 

“Racing?!” Terra’s voice went high pitched again. Pictures of cars speeding wildly down streets going through his head. 

Catching onto his tone, Pete began waving his arms wildly. “No! No! No! I said nothin’ illegal didn’t I? We’re goin’ go-karting!” 

Terra held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, I believe you. But how are we getting there? 

Pete slung an arm companionably around Terra’s shoulder, causing him to stagger under the weight. “I’m driving us there of course.” 

“You can drive?” Terra asked skeptically. 

“Course I can, I’ve had my license for a couple years now.” Pete answered. 

“Alright, then take us there.” 

* * *

Pete’s car was surprisingly low-key; while it was quite new, it wasn’t something considered fancy like a thunderbird or a mustang like Terra expected. The explanation was a mixture of Maleficent not trusting Pete with an expensive vehicle and Pete preferring the model because the brakes were excellent and the steering control was great. After lovingly explaining the features of his car, Pete ordered Terra to get in while also promising to show him a few stunts later if he was interested. 

When they arrived at the go kart arena, there was a low rumbling of engines running in the large warehouse type structure. There were several tracks and many karts painted different colors. Before Terra could drive though, he needed to sit through a briefing on safety and rules. Afterwards Pete shoved a helmet at Terra and lead him to one of the tracks. Somehow, Pete had managed to make it so they had the track to themselves. 

One of the workers leaned over Terra as he was buckling into the go-kart. He looked exactly like the guy who set up the safety video, but his nose was smaller. “You ever raced before?” He asked. 

“No I haven’t.” 

“Then you might want to go slow at first, get used to the machine. Once you’ve got the feel of it, try following Pete. I hate to admit it, but he’s pretty decent and you can learn a few things that way.” He explained. 

Terra nodded and the worker backed off. There was a countdown and once it finished the go-karts activated. Pete immediately zoomed out of the gateway but Terra went slow, taking the worker’s advice to get a feel for the machine. The first lap he spent getting a handle on how sharp he could turn, the traction of the tires and finding out how fast the little thing could go. He let Pete lap him so he could follow him and Terra understood why the worker had told him to do so. While Terra had struggled to make smooth turns Pete had them down pat and Terra figured it out following him. 

They reached a straight-away and with a grin Terra punched the accelerator. Being lighter than Pete, this gave Terra just enough extra acceleration to pass him. With a whoop Terra let himself go, testing the limits of how fast he could take turns. The feeling he got from a clean turn exhilarated him and he enjoyed the amount of control he had over the kart. He never managed to lap Pete but he put a decent amount of distance between them. 

Their time ran out on the track so Terra and Pete pulled back into the starting area. Terra was still smiling as he got out the go-kart and the worker let out a low whistle. 

“Were you lying when you said you haven’t raced before?” He asked 

Terra shook his head a little, a small blush appearing on his cheeks. “No, it’s true.” 

The worker’s face broke into a grin. “You’re a natural then.” He stuck out his hand “The name’s Chip and if you’re interested in joining a tournament me and my brother Dale would be willing to set you up.” 

“Terra.” He shook Chip’s hand. “And that’s very flattering, but this’ll probably be a one-time thing.” 

“Hey now!” Pete called, “Don’t go thinking Terra’s all that great! It was just beginner’s luck! Plus this track is one I’m least familiar with!!” 

Chip rolled his eyes. “Sure Pete.” He then craned his neck and glanced around. “Wanna test that theory? Looks like another track has opened up.” 

There was some grumbling from Pete, but he agreed to riding in a different track. Terra and Pete stayed at the racing tracks for a long time. When they got back they had to scrounge up their own supper as the cooking staff had left for the night. When they finished Terra wished Pete a sincere goodnight and returned to his room. 

* * *

Terra woke up the next morning feeling groggy and sluggish. He dragged himself through his morning routine and it wasn’t until he looked at his cell phone before putting it in his pocket that he fully realized what day it was. Today was his and Aqua’s birthday. They would be turning their ‘sweet sixteen’ today, but it didn’t feel like a special day. For one, Ven had been missing for a week and for another their Dad had promised that Terra and Aqua could take their driver’s test on their birthday, but hadn’t made arrangements for the test before he left. So they would both be stuck with their learner’s permits until he came back. 

In irritation Terra tightened his grip on the phone, then with conscious effort he loosened his grasp, taking deep breaths. He wouldn’t start his birthday off angry. Now calm, Terra headed out the door for breakfast. 

* * *

The day at school was like any other day. His friends didn’t seem aware that it was Terra’s birthday and there were no well wishes or otherwise from them. Thinking about it, Terra realized he didn’t know any of their birthdays either. They were always inviting him out to party for one reason or another and some of them could have been for a birthday but nothing was coming to mind. Maybe it was callous of him that he also didn’t really care. 

Only when last period came around did Terra receive an unusual amount of attention. The class was weightlifting and Gaston had chosen to have Terra be his partner instead of Clayton. Rather than ask about it, Terra figured it was better to just agree. Gaston didn’t say much and neither did Terra, until they came to the last part of the workout with bench presses. Terra got on the machine while Gaston stood beside his head, ready to help him with the weights if needed. 

“Your sister came to talk to me today.” Gaston said conversationally. 

“Oh?” Terra replied neutrally. He kept his focus mainly on lifting the dumbbell properly. 

“She said she was going to accuse me of sexual assualting her and get me kicked of the team.” 

“What?” Startled, Terra almost let the dumbbell drop, but steadied his arms just in time. “She did?” 

“She said that as a student council member and honor student people would believe her over me.” Gaston said grimly. 

Terra put the dumbbell back on its hook, unable to concentrate on training with this shocking news. “Why would she do such a thing?” 

“I’m sure I don’t know.” Was Gaston’s response. “But you should talk to her. Let her know what she did was wrong. Put her in her place.” 

“Right.” Terra murmured. 

The teacher blew a whistle and called for positions to be switched, Gaston laid on the bench and Terra took position beside his head. For the rest of the class period Terra thought over what Gaston said and found himself growing angry. How could Aqua be so petty? He knew she hated Gaston and the fact that he hung out with him, but that was no reason to ruin Gaston like that. Ever since their Mom had died, Aqua tried to take her place. Acting like he and Ven were children while she was the parent. But this was too far. She couldn’t protect Ven and she certainly couldn’t protect Terra like _this._

Terra built himself into such a mood that he barely noticed his friends following him as he went to confront Aqua by their pick-up spot. His ire didn't ebb at all when he discovered that Aqua hadn’t threatened Gaston for no reason, and only surged higher when he realized she was still spying on Terra. His anger only broke when he saw her bring her hand up to her chest as if to clutch her heart, a motion Aqua did when she was hurt emotionally. 

“I’m sorry.” She murmured, eyes directed downward. She looked up at Terra again, eyes shining sincerely. “I hope I didn’t ruin your birthday.” 

Terra was taken aback, Aqua never apologized when they argued about his friends, so this was new. Before he could formulate a response Demyx pulled up to the curb, windows rolled down with music blaring. 

They both piled into the backseat and Terra placed his hand on top of Aqua’s for just a moment, wordlessly letting her know that they were cool. 

* * *

When they arrived at Sora and Vanitas’s house Demyx rushed out of the car and into the house while Terra and Aqua followed at a more sedate pace. The house was quiet so they figured Xaldin was out picking up the twins. 

“Surprise!” 

Startled by the loud noise and the sudden brightness, Terra quickly stepped in front of Aqua and was half-way into a defensive stance before he realized it was just all of Yakuza 13 along with Vanitas and Sora jumping from various hiding places. And in Demyx’s case, hanging from the chandelier. 

Terra could only stare flabbergasted at the exorbitant amount of colorful streamers, a banner declaring “Happy 16th Birthday” hanging across the ceiling, while the sound of noise-makers assaulted his ears. 

Xigbar sidled up to them, speaking above normal volume to be heard over Sora and Vanitas competing to see who can kazoo the loudest. “Ideally we would have gotten your old man to be here, but even we couldn’t finagle that one.” 

Terra’s mind felt broken. This was not something he had ever expected from his Aunts and Uncles. Their family barely celebrated birthdays anymore, and yet this was an all-out party. He barely even processed Xigbar’s words. “What in the…” 

“It’s your sixteenth birthday.” Larxene snapped. “It’s a big deal, don’t think we would have ignored it. Even if this paltry in comparison to what a real sixteenth should be like.” The last line was muttered. 

When Terra gathered himself the party was quite fun. There were cardgames, common party games, and delicious foods and treats. The surprises didn’t stop though: their Aunts and Uncles had even bought both of them birthday presents. For the first time in what seemed a long time, Terra felt simply happy. He was glad to be here with what family could be here and feel their love. The worry for Ven and his growing frustration with his friends was still there, but they weren’t dragging him down and Terra let himself simply enjoy everyone’s affection. 

* * *

This warm feeling carried over even to the next day, despite it dawning gray and foggy. Terra even found himself humming at the breakfast table. 

“So I hear you had a birthday party yesterday.” Maleficent stated. Her eyes watching Terra carefully, as if evaluating him for something 

Terra immediately found himself growing wary. “Yes…?” 

“Did Ventus manage to come?” She asked innocently, almost too innocently. 

“No.” Terra said with a frown. “He’s still missing.” 

Maleficent folded his hands in front of her. “Well that’s interesting, I have it on good authority that he is currently under the care of your Uncle Xehanort and that he had informed Xemnas quite some time ago.” 

Terra felt like someone had cut him open and yanked out his insides, leaving nothing but emptiness. “Wha?” 

An exaggerated look of confusion appeared on Maleficent’s face “Perhaps Xemnas forgot to tell you? But you and your sister have been so worried.” Her expression turned to one that was sickly sweet in its effort to be sympathetic. “Mayhap he had his reasons for not telling you, I’m confident they are reasonable ones.” 

There was no response that Terra could think of, he could only stare at his plate blankly, appetite gone and head full of swirling thoughts. Ven was safe? He wasn’t lost and alone in the streets? Or being held in some stranger’s basement with no way to get home? And Xemnas knew? 

By the time breakfast was over and Terra got into the town car for the ride to school his emptiness had swirled into a quiet fury. How dare Xemnas keep the whereabouts of Ven from him and Aqua? Ven could have been back with them by now! 

Pete placed a hand on Terra’s shoulder, “Hey,” he said quietly. 

Terra turned his head towards Pete who flinched at the look in his eyes, but pressed on with what he wanted to say. 

“Take what my Mom says with a grain of salt. She only gives out information if it benefits her, and she always enjoys sowing chaos.” He said seriously. 

Terra just stared at Pete, and after a few moments shook his hand off his shoulder, “Whatever.” He responded flatly. 

Pete sighed and retreated back to his side of the car. 

* * *

At school, Terra waited for Aqua with a tranquil fury, he was upset but that was no reason to not tell Aqua that Ven’s whereabouts were known. _*He*_ wouldn’t keep such vital information from his family. Terra waited until he heard the first bell ring, but there was no sign of Aqua and with the fog he couldn’t tell if any other cars were pulling into the school, so with a rush he went to his locker and grabbed his things and barely slid into class on time. Terra wasn’t too worried though. He had two classes with Aqua, and during History he slipped her a note to meet him in the library during study hall. 

Terra had no idea what to say once he and Aqua were mostly hidden from sight between two stacks of shelves so he just let out with it. “Ven is with Uncle Xehanort.” He said in an undertone. 

Aqua stared at him in shock. “What?” 

“And Xemnas knew and didn’t tell us.” Terra rushed on. 

Aqua shook her head in disbelief. “How do you know this?” 

“Maleficent told me.” Terra said, clenching his jaw tight before he loosened it to speak again. “And while she might not be the most trustworthy person in the world, I know this isn’t something she would make up.” 

“I see.” Aqua replied, her gaze trailing downward as she processed his words. 

“And I wonder how trustworthy Xemnas is if he kept this information from us.” Terra said. 

“I need some time to think about this.” Aqua said abruptly. “We should probably start studying….” She trailed off. 

Terra was a bit surprised by Aqua not wanting to discuss this, but nodded in understanding and watched her walk off before grabbing a random book and pretending to read it as his mind whirled on how to confront Xemnas about going to get Ven from Xehanort. 

Somehow Terra made it through the rest of the school day and returned to Maleficent’s Manor. Once he was in his bedroom, he turned on his phone to find a text message from Aqua that said _‘Call me.’_ He didn’t wait and called Aqua right away. 

* * *

Terra shut his phone to end the conversation and then stared at it in disbelief. Ven was actually in more danger staying with Xehanort? And the Yakuza 13 couldn’t do anything about it because they were currently suffering attacks from several other groups? He found it hard to grasp. He couldn’t comprehend someone purposely trying to hurt his family, and his Uncles and Aunts had always seemed unstoppable. 

With a heavy sigh Terra collapsed backwards onto his bed. He pressed his palms against his eyes, trying to hold back the tears. He felt so helpless. Ven needed help and there wasn’t anything he could do. Would Ven ever be able to come back? Or the next time Terra saw him would he be a broken puppet of Xehanort’s? Terra rolled over and stayed in his bed the rest of the night, only getting up to do some homework that he could barely concentrate on. He slept restlessly, dreaming of Ven stabbing into him with a dark smile. 

* * *

The next day during English they were told to work in pairs and Terra was surprised to find Jack Skelly immediately coming over and folding his long thin body into a chair next to him. “Hey Terra! Mind if I work with you?” 

“N-not at all.” 

They managed to finish early and after a bit Jack asked, “Is everything going alright? You’ve seemed rather stressed lately.” 

Terra was taken aback: he hadn’t thought anyone had noticed. The friends he hung out with everyday certainly hadn’t. “No, everything’s fine, just not used to being back in school,” he lied. Terra wasn’t sure how much truth he wanted to tell. 

Jack stared at Terra hard. “I can tell when someone’s lying you know.” 

Sinking into his chair, Terra mumbled “I’m not sure I should talk about it.” 

“Alright,” Jack said, relenting. “But at least tell me, is it about your brother? I heard he’s out of school because of a heart condition.” 

“Yeah, it’s about Ven.” Terra nodded. “It’s been hard on me and Aqua.” 

“My sympathies.” Jack said. “If you ever do feel like talking about it, I’d be willing to listen. I’m better at keeping secrets than I seem.” 

Terra gave Jack a small smile. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” 

* * *

Several more weeks passed with nothing new happening. The atmosphere at Vanitas’s and Sora’s house was so thick Terra could cut it with a knife. He preferred staying at Maleficent’s where he wouldn’t have to hear worried murmurs from his Aunts and Uncles about how to rescue Ven. Terra would distract himself with working out, but he could only do that so much. His only other solace came from Pete and Jack, both of whom Terra was surprised tried their best to cheer him up and comfort him. It didn’t always work, but he appreciated the effort. 

After a long time, Terra got a phone call in the middle of the night. He rolled over and blindly patted around the nightstand until he felt his phone. Grabbing it, he flipped it open and brought it to his ear. 

“Hello?” He said sleepily 

“Terra?” Ven’s voice was quiet and thin, on the edge of crying. 

Terra bolted upright, now wide awake. “Ven?! Ven are you alright? Where are you?” 

There was the sound of sobbing and Ven saying “I want to go home.” 

“You will Ven, I’ll come get you, just tell me--” The line went dead and Terra stared at his phone in disbelief before quickly hitting star-6-9 and bringing it back to his ear. But all he heard was a rising series of beeps that made him flinch at the sound. Terra tried several more times but the same thing happened. Finally, Terra gave up and laid back down, gaze barely focused on the bed’s canopy as his mind whirred with thoughts. Would Ven be able to call back? Should he let his Aunts and Uncles know? He truly was a useless older brother. As these thoughts whizzed by a plan began forming in his mind and he texted Aqua _‘Wait for me outside of school tomorrow morning’_

Terra slept little the rest of the night as he solidified his plan. It absolutely had to work and he had to do it now or else risk chickening out and he couldn’t do that, not after Ven had reached out to him. When his alarm finally went off Terra got out of bed and went through his normal morning routine. At breakfast he asked Maleficent as casually as he could if he could get the address for Xehanort’s house. 

Maleficent narrowed her eyes at him. “And why would you want his address?” 

“I’ve been invited to visit Ven and was curious as to where he lived and I forgot to ask.” Terra lied. 

There was a beat of silence before Maleficent gave an amused smile. “Very well, Diaval will give you the address before you leave today.” 

Terra almost slumped down in relief, but maintained a casual air so Maleficent wouldn’t know how important this was to him. He had feared the worst when asking Maleficent for help and having her be so willing to hand over the address eased some of his tenseness. 

After breakfast Terra went to grab his backpack and when he exited his room Diaval was waiting there. Without saying anything Diaval shoved a yellow sticky note at Terra and walked off before Terra could respond. Terra looked down at the address and smiled, retreating back into his room. 

Despite taking longer than usual in his room, Terra managed to catch Pete before he left the manor. 

“Hey Pete. Mind if I borrow one of your cars?” Terra asked. 

Pete didn’t glance up from his gamegirl. “Sure thing, you can drive one around the track tonight.” He replied. 

Terra reached up to rub the back of his neck. “I was thinking of using it now, and on actual roads.” 

Pete looked at him. “And why would you do such a thing as that? You ain’t got no license and you’re not the rule-breakin’ kind.” 

Terra took a deep breath, he felt like Pete deserved the truth. “I’m going to go and take Ven back from Xehanort.” 

Pete gave Terra a hard look, judging his determination to go through with this before shrugging. “Fine, take the Punch Buggy, you know where them keys are at. Just don’t come a-cryin’ to me if y’all end up dead.” 

“Thanks Pete.” Terra said, as he clapped him on the shoulder. 

As Terra went to retrieve the car he heard Pete murmur. “Best of luck to ya.” 

* * *

Terra would swear that Aqua’s jaw was touching the sidewalk when he pulled up next to her in Pete’s car; he would have laughed if the situation wasn’t so serious. He leaned over and had barely opened the passenger side door when Aqua started scolding him. 

“Terra! What on Earth do you think you’re doing driving around by yourself without a license!” She exclaimed. “What would Dad think if he were here!?” 

Terra rolled his eyes. “Just in get in Aqua.” 

“No! What crazy reason do you think would make me skip school and ride with someone who doesn’t have a license?” 

“We’re going to go rescue Ven.” Terra said, looking Aqua dead in the eyes. 

Without a word Aqua got into the car and buckled up. “Let’s go already!” 

Terra grinned from ear to ear as he pulled away from the curb. “Thanks Aqua.” 

* * *

“Turn here! Turn here!” Aqua yelled. 

“Left or right! Left or right!” Terra yelled panicky back. 

“Right! Take the exit! Not that one! The next one!” 

Terra swerved into the exit just in time and a minute later there was a big sigh of relief from the twins as they finally left the freeway. 

“How long until we get there?” Terra asked. 

Aqua shuffled through the directions Terra had printed out before answering. “About an hour, if we don’t miss any more turns.” 

There was a few minutes of quiet before Aqua asked. “So what’s the plan once we get there?” 

“I, uh, hadn’t really thought that far.” Terra answered honestly. 

“Seriously, Terra?” Aqua stared at him in disbelief. “Our Uncles and Aunts are scared of approaching him without a plan and that’s exactly what we’re going to do? Do you think if we just walk up to him and ask politely for Ven back that he’ll comply?” 

“No.” Terra murmured in despair but then continued more strongly. “But we have time to think of one. And you’re the smartest person I know, so I think we can do this.” 

Aqua sighed but said, “Alright Terra, then let’s start brainstorming.” 

Out of all the ideas the two of them had the only one they thought might be feasible was if they begged Xehanort to release Ven in exchange for one of them. It took a lot arguing but Terra managed to convince Aqua that he should be the one to take Ven’s place. Though that didn’t mean she was happy with the decision. 

“Are you absolutely certain about this Terra?” Aqua questioned as Terra parked against the sidewalk in front of Xehanort’s house. “We can still wait for our uncles and aunts to help.” 

“No more waiting Aqua.” Terra said with a firm shake of his head. “Ven sounded awful and I’m not leaving him with that monster one second more than I have to.” 

“Right.” Aqua nodded, “Let’s go.” 

They exited the car and approached the front door of Xehanort’s house. There were several other houses nearby but a plethora of trees kept the house from being in easy view of its neighbors. Terra knocked on the door but there was no response. Shooting Aqua a look, Terra opened the door and peeked in and saw only an empty hallway. With a deep breath Terra entered the house, signaling for Aqua to follow him. The hallway lead to a dining room with a long dark wood table with eight chairs. When they entered there was a loud boom that shook dust from the rafters and left a slight ringing in Terra’s ears. Before the noise had faded out Terra and Aqua had hit the floor and crawled under the table while several more explosions went off. 

Terra and Aqua had a silent argument of hand gestures and headshakes trying to decide whether they should move on and find Ven or stay where they were until things calmed down. Before they could take action a pair of black clad legs with a black cloak floating around them came from a different entrance and came near the table. Terra nearly punched Xemnas when his face appeared below the table, but managed to stop himself in time when he noticed that Xemnas was cradling Ven. Xemnas looked shocked to see them and then… worried? Was it even possible for his uncle to be worried? 

“What are you two doing here?” Xemnas demanded, then continued before either one could respond. “Never mind, it’s not important now. Take Ventus and get out, we’ll cover you. Go. Now.” 

The command in Xemnas’s voice was so strong that neither Terra nor Aqua could argue, so after shouldering Ven onto his back the both of them followed Xemnas out the way they came in. On the way out and on the journey to the car Terra saw his Aunts and Uncles armed to the teeth and going full out. While Terra knew in his head that they were Yakuza it was another thing entirely to see them in action. It was terrifying. They showed absolutely no mercy to what must have been Xehanort’s goons meant to protect him. Terra had never been bothered by the sight of blood before, but now his stomach was feeling queasy. 

Regardless, he couldn’t stop now. He ran as fast as he could, almost throwing Ven into the car and barely giving Aqua time to get in before punching the gas. Nearly a half hour passed before Terra felt relaxed enough to drive like a normal human being again. He considered himself lucky no police had spotted him, but perhaps that was Xehanort’s influence in the area. 

Terra glanced at Ven sitting between him and Aqua. Not knowing what to say he could only reach out and place a hand on Ven’s shoulder to reassure himself that he was truly here. Aqua was stroking his hair and murmuring gently but there was no response from Ven. His eyes were blank, like his mind was far away. This worried Terra but at the same time he couldn’t help but feel exultant; they finally had Ven back and Terra knew exactly where they should go to start putting their fallen pieces back together. 

When he pulled into the driveway he looked over to Aqua whose grin mirrored his own as she gazed out at the house. “Welcome home guys.”


	22. Aqua Alone: Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Abduction, Implied abusive situation, Implied violence at the end

It was big. And impossible. If Uncle Xemnas knew where Ven was, why wouldn’t he have gone to go get him? There was just no way, right? 

Still, Aqua was shaken completely. It had to be a lie. But Terra wasn’t a liar. And while she couldn’t see how staying with creepy Uncle Xehanort could be all that bad, dad had always warned them to stay away from him if they could. 

She needed to confirm this. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Terra. She just wanted to trust Uncle Xemnas as well, and everyone else at the Yakuza 13. They were bad people, but they were so nice to her and Terra and Ven all the time. She couldn’t believe anyone, even a gang of lowlifes, could partake in the kidnapping of her brother and yet act so sympathetic to her and Terra at the same time. 

It was against the rules, but Aqua found a secluded corner to pull out her cell phone, and tried to call Zexion. The phone rang, and rang, and she was about to give up when he answered. 

“Aqua! What is it?” He was somewhat out of breath, and there was lots of noise in the background. 

“Uncle Zexion, I um, needed to ask-” 

“Hold on a moment,” he said, cutting her off. She could hear voices arguing, then he was back, asking “I’m really sorry to ask this, but could I call you back? Now’s not really a good time. Things are a little… chaotic.” 

“No, it’s fine. It was nothing really. Sorry to bother you,” Aqua said, trying to sound cheerful. She hung up, wondering what to do now. 

She made it through study hall, but that was as much as she could handle. This couldn’t wait. School and academics were important, but Ven came first. She could make up missed work. But she couldn’t replace a brother. 

Without thinking about it, since if she thought about it then she might realize what she was doing was absolutely crazy, Aqua left the school. It was surprisingly easy. She just walked out the front doors and headed down the road. No one tried to stop her. No one asked her for an excusal pass from the office. They knew her. She was a good kid, not someone who would play hooky. So of course she had permission to leave, or so they all assumed. 

Aqua hadn’t been inside the Yakuza 13 headquarters since she was little, but she remembered where it was since sometimes there were emergency situations with the twins and dad had to go there and pick them up, and he’d allow Aqua and her brothers to come along, provided they stayed in the car with the doors locked and the windows up while he went in. It took a while to walk there, almost an hour. Maybe longer. Aqua wasn’t really sure, since she wasn’t paying attention to the time. She was hungry, but then again, lunch was probably over by now, back at school. And she hadn’t had a large breakfast. 

As she walked up to the glass doors, she could feel herself shaking. It may have been the cold air on her sweaty skin, but she thought it was more likely the fact that she was entering a building she had never been allowed to approach. And she was doing so when she was supposed to be at school. This was wrong. But she had to do this. 

There was a desk just inside the door, to the left. Not knowing where else to go, Aqua approached it. A man was sitting there, reading a comic book. 

“Um, excuse me? I need to speak to Xemnas,” she said. Her voice somehow stayed steady. 

“Do you have an appointment?” the man asked, not looking up. He could be friends with Uncle Zexion if he was always like that, though she did wonder if her “uncle” would consider comics to be books. 

“Er, no. But it’s, it’s very important.” 

The man looked up. 

“No can do, missy. If you’re interested in joining, then you need to talk to one of the recruitment guys. And don’t ask for Demyx himself. The man’s got more important things to do.” 

“No, I’m not here to join. I just-” 

“Oh, an interview for a school project then? Trying to sell cookies? Seriously, girl. Get lost.” 

“Look, you don’t understand, I-” 

The man got to his feet. 

“Look miss, if I have to come out from behind this desk-” he was cut off when another man came running up and clapped a hand over his mouth. 

“Miss Aqua! What a pleasant surprise. What brings you here?” Underneath the second man’s hand, the first man paled. He wrenched the hand off his mouth. 

“Y-you’re the boss’s cousin?” he asked, his voice cracking. 

“Idiot, you mean you didn’t recognize her? The boss’ll be pissed if he hears about this!” the second man chided. 

“Um, you- you guys know me?” Aqua asked 

“Of course we do! Everyone is SUPPOSED to be able to identify the boss’s relatives on sight, in case an emergency situation requires your family to stay here. Though I expect now thanks to SOMEONE we’ll have to have a seminar or something to reiterate that and also to cover proper conduct in such circumstances. Anyways, what can we do for you today, Miss Aqua?” 

“Um, well I, uh, I need to speak to Xemnas. It’s rather urgent.” 

“You really should have called ahead if that were the case. Still, if it’s you I’m sure he’ll make time for it. Come on, I’ll take you up.” 

The second man took Aqua’s backpack from her and led the way to an elevator. Aqua was grateful he took the book bag, as it had gotten rather heavy in the time since she left school. 

The elevator ride was quiet and somewhat tense. Aqua was relieved when the elevator reached its destination and let them out. Roxas was in the waiting room, clutching a folder and looking nervous. When he saw them, he looked even more panicked. 

“Adam, what’s she doing here?” he hissed. 

“She said she needed to talk to Xemnas.” 

“Yes, but now’s not really a good time. Xigbar just stormed in and-” That was all Aqua heard. From beyond the door at the far end of the room, she’d heard hers and Terra’s names uttered. Before either man could stop her, she was across the room, listening at the door. 

“-need to tell them!” she heard a voice shouting. She wasn’t sure, but she thought it might be Uncle Xigbar. “They have a right to know! He’s their brother for crying out loud!” 

“And he’s MY cousin!” Uncle Xemnas shouted back. “Do you think I am happy with this situation? I’m not! But what can we do? You don’t know my father like I do, Xigbar. You don’t know what a monster he is.” Aqua heard a sigh, and then her uncle continued in a quieter voice that she could barely hear. “It’s probably too late anyways. He kept it hidden for a week. If he’s letting me know now it’s because he believes he is making progress with the boy. Even if we could get Ventus, which, under the circumstances is impossible, as you know very well, he won’t be the same. And I’m supposed to tell my cousins, his siblings, about that? After what happened with their mother, I cannot-” 

“So what, you’re just going to cover it up? God damn it, Xemnas! I’ve stood by you through a lot of things, but this, I can’t accept it. I’m going to tell them. They’re trying not to ask but it’s killing them not knowing, I’m sure even you can see that!” 

“And if they do know, it’ll kill them not going and rescuing him, since they don’t understand what a monster Xehanort is!” 

Behind Aqua, some papers hit the floor. She turned to see Roxas had dropped his folder. Both he and the man from the desk appeared shocked. So they hadn’t known then. In the meantime, Aqua had heard enough. She pushed open the door. 

“Aqua, wait, don’t-” Roxas protested, but she was already through, and then there was a loud sound as she was tackled from behind. 

“If you force your way in, they’ll assume it’s a threat,” Roxas growled in her ear. He got up and offered a hand, but Aqua refused it. Instead, she lurched to her feet, asking coldly “Is it true?” 

Neither Xigbar nor Xemnas would look at her. 

“Xemnas, is. It. True?” She yelled, eschewing the title of “Uncle” that she used to be polite. She never called adults by just their names, but right now, she couldn’t muster up that kind of respect. Xemnas was right. She didn’t understand. 

“Yeah hon. It’s true,” Xigbar said softly, and she could hear sadness in his voice. “Xehanort fessed up a couple days ago. He’s got your brother.” 

“A couple days ago! And you never told us?” Roxas demanded. 

“Hey, don’t look at me, kid. He wouldn’t tell me more than that he’d found out where Ventus was until today. I did everything but pull out his fingernails to find out!” 

Just then, someone pounded on the door and it flew open, nearly knocking the desk guard aside. Zexion rushed in. 

“Boss! We have a situation!” he called. “Your cousin called me a while ago and since I was handling the situation with Orcus I had to call her back only she hasn’t been answering and she said she was fine but she didn’t sound fine and Aqua! You’re here.” 

“Since when do you two call each other?” Roxas asked suspiciously. Aqua almost forgot that he was her real uncle sometimes, but then moments like this came up, and she remembered that he was the same guy who had helped her learn how to do cartwheels. 

“As you can see, my cousin is perfectly fine. Now, this is all very well, but I do have other concerns at the moment, so will all of you get out? And someone escort my cousin to the twins’ house. I wouldn’t put it past my father to take her or Terra as well. He can be quite malicious like that.” 

As Zexion asked the door guard what Xehanort had to do with anything, Aqua tried to protest, but Roxas put an arm around her shoulders. 

“He’s right. We need to get you to safety, and while normally this place is as good as it gets, I don’t think we can trust your cousin too much right now.” 

“Agreed,” Xigbar said in disgust, scowling at Xemnas before leading the way out. 

As Aqua allowed herself to be shunted back into the elevator, she asked “So why exactly IS Uncle Xehanort so bad?” 

Roxas, Zexion, and the door guard looked at Xigbar. 

“Eh well even I don’t know full details on that one. Just that Xemnas would be living a very different life if it weren’t for the geezer. Until he lived with the old coot he was apparently more normal, but by the time he got out of there he was the way we all know him now.” 

“I kinda thought you were capable of getting any information from Xemnas if you wanted, Xigbar,” Roxas said, and Zexion nodded agreement. 

“Not quite. Though until the beginning of this week I thought those days were the only thing he’d ever keep quiet about. And I never would have thought he’d be silent about something like this.” 

“Well now that we know where Ven is, we can just go get him,” Aqua said. 

“Er, no. Afraid not. I hate to admit it, but Xemnas was kinda right there,” Xigbar said, and Aqua heard knuckles crack as Roxas clenched his fists tightly. His jaw was set, and on the other side of the elevator Zexion’s one visible eye was a slit of displeasure. 

“Why not?” Aqua asked as the elevator dinged and they got out. The guard returned to the front desk in a hurry, apparently afraid of further involvement in the matters at hand. 

“It’s just not possible,” Xigbar sighed. 

“Well if we ask Uncle Xehanort to give Ven back-” 

“Woah now. Hold on. No one is asking Xehanort anything,” Roxas said. “Because Xehanort doesn’t give back the things he takes. Not unless he thinks they’re defective. In which case, he destroys them.” 

“But we’re his family. He wouldn’t-” 

“Oh but he would. The codger doesn’t give a damn about family. To that fogey, everyone is either someone he can use or someone who is worthless,” Xigbar said bitterly. 

“I’m impressed. I didn’t think you knew so many derogatory synonyms for ‘old man’,” Zexion murmured. 

“But we can still get Ven back, right?” Aqua asked. 

“Like he said, it’s just not possible,” Roxas replied, shaking his head. 

“Well why not?” 

“Right now, the chances of successfully infiltrating Xehanort’s stronghold are around 34%, with approximately 86% casualty rates. As for getting back out… well, you don’t want to hear it,” Zexion informed her. Aqua felt her eyes bugging out in horror. 

“Yeah, go ahead and scare her, sonny,” Xigbar said, and Zexion ducked under a cuff aimed at his head. 

“I am merely citing statistical evidence providing good reason as to why we cannot rescue Ventus. Of course, if we could all go there then-” 

“Anyways, it’s just not happening,” Xigbar said. 

“If all of you could go? Well why can’t you?” 

“Because the Yakuza 13 has been under constant attack for the past week, and if we lower our defenses at all we risk large personnel and territorial losses,” Zexion replied. “Given the most recent information it seems likely that Xehanort announced to our rivals that he snatched Ventus out from under our noses. They in turn would assume that if we are so incompetent that we cannot protect one small child, that we are most likely incapable of putting up a fight.” 

“But we’re holding our own,” Xigbar added hurriedly, glaring at Zexion and making slashing motions at his throat. Aqua wasn’t sure if the motion meant to shut up, or if it was an actual promise to cut his throat. 

“So… basically, you can’t help us,” Aqua croaked. She was fighting back tears. Her brother- her baby brother- had been found, and he was in trouble, and no one was going to do anything about it. It was so unfair. 

“Aqua, we want to get Ven back too. If there was any way…” Roxas said. 

“But there’s not?” Aqua finished for him, and Roxas flinched, then nodded. 

“But why would he do this?!” Aqua shouted, surprising herself as much as them. Where had this anger come from? 

“Because he’s Xehanort and he’s evil?” Xigbar suggested. 

“But why Ven? Why my little brother?” 

“Most likely this is linked to the events of five years ago,” Zexion suggested. 

“Kid, seriously. Shut. Up,” Xigbar ordered. 

“What happened five years ago?” 

No one answered, but Aqua knew which one of them would cave. 

“Zexion?” she asked, her voice demanding. She’d learned to trust him to be honest and upfront with her. 

The other two glared at him, and Zexion sighed. 

“Is there really any point in not telling them?” he asked. “It is relevant.” 

“You don’t know that. And Eraqus doesn’t want them to know about Yakuza 13 matters,” Roxas reminded him. “He’s always been adamant about that. He didn’t want us telling them then and he wouldn’t want us telling them now. _I_ don’t want you telling them now.” 

“Xigbar?” Zexion asked. 

“You can tell her if you want. But when Eraqus gets mad, it’s on you. And ONLY you. Got it?” 

“Given the circumstances, I think he will understand. Aqua, I do not know full details about your father’s relationship with Xehanort, but I do know it was never close, and Xehanort’s criminal activity only made their animosity grow. However, Xehanort bore no particular grudge against him until five years ago.” 

“Okay, but what. Happened.” 

“Are you aware that Xehanort is the one who brought us the twins?” No, Aqua hadn’t been aware of that. As far as she’d known, the twins had been left on the Yakuza 13’s doorstep. She had met the twins the same day they’d arrived, as she and Terra had helped give the Yakuza 13 diaper-changing lessons. But no one had bothered to say where the boys had come from. They were just some babies that the Yakuza 13 would be taking care of, and then they were her cousins. Zexion noticed her surprise and continued. 

“It would seem from the events of five years ago that Xehanort took in the twins in order to train them as his disciples, but that he did not wish to deal with them until they had matured beyond infancy and toddlerhood. What this boils down to is that he was essentially loaning the twins to us. Five years ago, he demanded their return. We were unwilling to comply, and resisted him. Furthermore, we brought your father in to help us and make it legally impossible for Xehanort to touch the twins. We won, but Xehanort held it against us. We have seen his displeasure in many ways since then, some minor and some quite obnoxious. But he also resents your father for his involvement. Thus far we have succeeded in shielding your family from his wrath, but it seems it has only angered him further. He would do anything to hurt your father. And the easiest way for him to do that is to hurt his children. 

“He might have taken any of you three, but I suspect he took Ventus for two reasons. First, by taking Ventus he is mentally torturing you and Terra. The two of you, as his older siblings, feel responsible for him, and will suffer thinking you ought to have done more, ought to be doing more. And secondly because Ven is still young and impressionable. Xehanort excels at breaking people. But he still wishes for a pupil since he did not get the twins. Of the three of you, Ventus is most ideal, since after being broken he can be molded due to the greater plasticity of the young mind, whereas you and Terra are less likely to recover enough to be of use to him.” 

“I swear, sonny, you could make anything sound like a eulogy,” Xigbar said. “It’s just all doom and gloom with you, isn’t it?” 

“I am merely-” 

“Stating facts. Yeah, Mr. Roboto, we know,” Roxas snapped. Zexion reached in his pocket and Xigbar grabbed his arm. 

“Then I guess it’s a good thing dad’s in Japan,” Aqua said. 

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Roxas agreed. 

* * *

If Aqua had been suspicious of her aunts and uncles, the events of that night only cleared them of any guilt she might have perceived. Roxas brought her to the twins’ house, and explained things to Saix and Axel. When the two men heard the news, Saix dropped a plate and broke it, and Axel threw a lighter across the room. After Roxas left, Saix offered to make Aqua lunch since she hadn’t eaten. She went to use the bathroom and came back to hear the two men debating an attempt to get Ven back. 

“If I went berserk, I could-” Saix was saying. 

“Maybe. But if we try something like that, what if Old Nort just up and kills him just because he can?” Axel replied. 

Aqua didn’t stick around to hear anything more than that. 

Throughout the rest of the evening, various aunts and uncles came through the house. The only one who didn’t come through at some point or another to have heated whispered conversations with the others present and reassure her they would do everything they could to get Ven back was Uncle Xemnas. It was just as well. Just the thought of him made Aqua sick to her stomach. 

Time passed strangely that evening. At some point, it occurred to her to inform Terra of the situation. After all, he had told her what he knew, so it was only fair to tell him what she knew. After struggling with her phone, which was still rather unfamiliar to her, she managed to text him that he should call her. At another point, he actually did call her. She couldn’t say how much time passed between the text and the call, or how long the conversation was. Everything felt like five minutes but also like five hours. 

In the end, Aqua was picked up by Auron, and they rode in silence until Aqua couldn’t stand it anymore. The words spilled out, whether she wanted them to or not. 

“I found out where Ven is, and it’s bad and I don’t know what to do.” 

“How bad?” Auron asked, as if they were talking about the severity of a skinned knee or something minor like that. 

“I’m not sure. I thought- but then- I- I just don’t know.” 

“He’s not with a man called Sephiroth is he?” Auron asked, and Aqua could hear a hint of panic in his voice. 

“Um, no. Who’s that?” 

“He’s no one. Or at least, he’s no one you ever want to know. But if Ven’s not with him then I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.” 

“But the Yakuza 13 seemed to think he was in danger with Uncle Xehanort, and-” 

Auron jerked the wheel, even though they were in the middle of the freeway, and swerved the car to the shoulder lane in order to pull over. Aqua was too frightened to scream, not that she thought it would have been audible over the screeching of tires and blaring of car horns. Auron put the car in park and killed the engine, then looked over at Aqua, his eyes wide. 

“D-did you say Xehanort? Your brother can’t stay there!” 

“But you said-” 

“Forget what I said! Depending on how you look at it, Xehanort could be worse than Sephiroth!” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Sephiroth is evil. Really evil. And he was inspired by Xehanort, who he considers to be his idol. If Sephiroth had him, it would be bad because Sephiroth would probably kill your brother. But Xehanort, well, as I said it depends on how you look at it. Xehanort kills you on the inside. And some might say that’s worse than death.” 

Once again, here was someone confirming Aqua’s worst fears. Ven was in danger. Ven needed them. And she hadn’t the faintest idea how to help him. 

* * *

Due to general sleeplessness, the sound of low conversations in the hall, and just about all of her current housemates “dropping by” to say comforting things, Aqua didn’t get to bed until the wee hours of the morning. Despite this, she was up early, over an hour before her alarm was set to go off. She considered going downstairs to get a bowl of cereal, which was one of the few foods she could manage on her own, but she just wasn’t hungry. After staring at the ceiling for ten minutes, Aqua finally decided on a shower. Unfortunately, due to years of trying to keep the water bill down and conserve water, Aqua’s shower was quick out of habit, and she found herself still having plenty of time to kill. 

She was standing listlessly at the top of the stairs when one of the doors opened and a sleepy Leon came out and wandered into one of the bathrooms. A minute later, a toilet flushed, a sink ran, and then he came out, bumping into the doorframe as he did. 

“You’re up early,” he said groggily. 

“Uh,” Aqua replied intelligently. 

“Something wrong?” 

As if he didn’t know that it wasn’t something that was wrong, but everything. On another day, Aqua might have snapped at him, but today she just didn’t have the energy. 

“I don’t want to go to school.” She heard the words, but it was as if someone else said them. Things had been that way a lot recently, where it was like she was an observer in her own body and someone else was making her move. 

“The normalcy is getting to you, huh?” Aqua stared at Leon, confused by what he meant. 

“It’s just, you seem like the kind of person who doesn’t mind school that much. Like Zack? He hates school. He gripes about having to go a lot, and complains that Cid won’t let him get a GED rather than finish high school. But you’re fine with going to school, and seem like you may even be comfortable there. Especially since right now ‘home’ is kinda…” Leon cleared his throat. “Anyways, if someone who doesn’t dislike school doesn’t want to go, it’s probably because something is bothering them. And I figured that maybe with all this worrying about your brother, maybe you’re getting a little fed up with how things keep going on as usual at school even if your brother’s missing.” 

Aqua still didn’t say anything but she blinked, realizing that was exactly it. It frustrated her that Ven could be missing and no one even seemed to care. She knew that someone, perhaps that “Uncle” who shouldn’t be named, had told the school that Ven was hospitalized due to a heart condition- a plausible excuse since heart problems ran in the family- and so they didn’t know the real situation, but shouldn’t there be more concern about this? 

“I guess so,” Aqua finally said. 

“In that case, I might actually be able to help.” 

Leon told Aqua to go to the lounge area, and disappeared into his room for a bit. Aqua obeyed, and sat down, wondering what was going on. Leon reappeared holding a rounded box-like object, which he set down and opened up to reveal lots and lots of makeup. 

“I don’t wear makeup,” Aqua said quickly. It wasn’t strictly true. She did have to wear some for baton twirling, but she always felt so fake and ridiculous with it on. 

“I noticed. So you won’t be wearing makeup today, either. You’ll be wearing war paint.” 

“War paint?” 

“That’s what Ms. Yuna calls it. And not just because Tifa doesn’t mind wearing makeup if it’s war paint instead.” 

“Ms. Yuna calls it that?” 

“That’s what I just said, isn’t it? You must be more tired than you look.” 

“I just find it a little hard to believe that Ms. Yuna would talk about war paint.” 

“Well a while back Yuffie asked her why she would wear makeup when she’s already pretty without it. And Ms. Yuna said that it’s because it makes her braver and fiercer and more prepared to face the world, like war paint. Close your eyes.” 

Reluctantly Aqua closed her eyes, and felt something being rubbed onto the lids. 

“So you’re saying that wearing makeup will make me feel braver?” 

“With the right mindset. That’s the magic of makeup. Depending on your mindset, it makes you feel brave or beautiful or cool or desirable or all of those things at once. Though with a negative mindset it can have the opposite effects. Please don’t scrunch your eyes shut like that, thank you.” 

“Sorry.” 

“Trust me, I’ve dealt with worse. You practically have to tie Yuffie down to put makeup on her because she can’t sit still, and Aerith is always touching her face so she ruins her makeup before you’ve even finished, and Cloud flinches something awful.” 

“Cloud wears makeup? But he’s a guy.” 

“Guys can wear makeup. I do. Cloud mostly wears it for work, though he did have an emo phase. Which I may have kinda followed that trend with him. So if you see any old photos of us with way too much eyeliner on, please don’t judge us, okay?” 

When the war paint was finally finished, Aqua went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. The person she saw was her, but not her. The girl in the mirror didn’t look any more brave or any of those other things, but she didn’t have to. She was a layer of protection between Aqua and the world. That would be enough. 

Aqua rushed back to where Leon was cleaning up his supplies. 

“Um, can you teach me how to do this on my own sometime?” Aqua asked. 

“Sure thing. Just not now. I’d like to get some more sleep, and you should get ready for school.” 

As if on cue, Yuffie stumbled out of her room, and Aqua realized her alarm was probably about to go off, and she ought to turn it off before it woke Aerith up. 

* * *

School was just as bad as Aqua feared. From the moment she arrived there was Daisy asking where she’d been and then Huey, Dewey, and Louie were chattering excitedly about the latest ridiculous rumor, and then she got called to the counselor’s office because her teachers were “concerned” about her. Which translated to she had been getting C’s on her homework assignments rather than the A’s everyone had been led to expect, and while it was only the second week of school her GPA would drop if this went on much longer, and also her sudden absence the afternoon before hadn’t gone unnoticed. Aqua just hoped Terra hadn’t been given any trouble over it. It may have been the conversation with him that caused Aqua to leave school like that, but it had been her decision. Terra hadn’t known she would do that, nor had he had any reason to expect that she might. 

The hardest part was when the counselor asked if Aqua had anything on her mind or anything she wanted to talk about. But even if Aqua spilled her guts to this woman, it would do nothing. Besides, Aqua knew plenty of people who she was starting to think she could talk to about things. Maybe one of her “uncles” was rotten, but there were 10 other “uncles” and an “aunt” she could probably trust, not to mention her actual uncle and aunt. And her current housemates weren’t quite the people she’d originally thought either. Aqua had plenty of people she could talk to about the things on her mind, and the school counselor wasn’t one of them. 

Lexaeus and Larxene were both waiting in the parking lot when school let out. Aqua was the first one out, and she sat with her “aunt” and “uncle” as they waited for Terra. It was nice to sit and feel the fall wind on her face, and it only felt better when Larxene complimented her makeup. Once Terra came out the four of them went to pick up the twins, and then they went back to the house. Aqua was glad to finally be away from school and the facade she’d been putting up all day. 

Things were just as tense at the twins’ house that night, and Aqua found herself playing with the twins in their room. She’d offered to take them to the park, but that idea was shot down as being “far too risky”. Vanitas was drawing, and when he showed it to her it was a picture of him and Sora and Ven. It was nice to know the twins missed her brother too. 

But then the week continued. Over the course of the next two days, she felt it all grating on her again. When reminded about a student council event she almost resigned in irritation. At times she found herself resenting the twins, and sometimes even the youngsters at Fantasy, for being Ven’s age but not being Ven himself. At other times, she found herself resenting her aunts and uncles and the twins, because if they had just done what Xehanort wanted and given him the twins, then he would never have gone after Ven. She knew this was ridiculous, that it would have been terrible for the twins to live with Xehanort, that her father could have angered his brother some other way, and that caving in to Xehanort might have only lead to worse demands in the future. 

The weekend was a blessing. She got to practice self-defense with the members of Fantasy, who politely refrained from commenting on her newfound aggression. And she also got a pleasant surprise. 

After practice on Sunday, Aqua got out of the shower and was called to the kitchen. There, she found all the residents waiting for her, most of them dressed for work. It was a bit odd seeing them in their host outfits, since half the time she saw them in pajamas or workout clothes. Also odd was the fact that every surface was covered in cupcakes. 

“What’s with all the cupcakes?” she asked. 

“Hey, Aqua, what’s your favorite flavor?” Yuffie asked. 

“Of cupcake? Um, cranberry.” There was a brief moment where everyone looked distressed, and she realized she’d answered with her favorite flavor of muffin. “Sorry. I mean, peanut butter. Though green tea, salted caramel, and chocolate are all good too.” 

There was a brief scuffle following her amendment, in which she heard phrases such as “Cloud you idiot, does that look like peanut butter to you? It’s pink! Since when is peanut butter pink?”, “Vivi, you’re covered in frosting!”, “Yuna, where’d you put that candle?”, and “Who gave Rai the matches!?” 

Aqua was just about to back out of the room slowly when she was presented with a cupcake topped with a single candle. 

“Happy belated birthday,” Zack said, blushing as he offered her the cupcake. 

“Um, thank you?” 

“We would sing,” Tifa told her, but unfortunately Yuna’s the only one who’s any good at it. Fuu’s learning, but the rest of us can’t carry a tune in a bucket. 

“I don’t know whatcher talkin’ ‘bout,” Cid snapped. “I sing great.” 

“Believe me, you don’t,” Auron said. Everyone else was carefully looking away. 

“Anyway, we got you presents!” Rikku said excitedly. 

“Wait, what?” 

“Rikku loves designing clothes, so she went ahead and made something for you, and since that wasn’t enough, she also made clothes for your brothers. It’s creepy, but there’s no stopping her. We figured your birthday would be a good time to give them to you,” Paine said, tossing her head so her bangs flopped artistically. 

“Uh-huh, uh-huh! Take a looksie!” Rikku said, shoving something at Aqua that she couldn’t see well in the light of the candle. 

“Not until she makes a wish and blows out the candle!” Seifer insisted. 

Aqua quickly blew out the candle, and then got accused of not making a wish by Yuna. But her birthday had passed, and she’d already made a wish, so did it really matter? To humor her, she let them light the candle again, and waited a few moments before blowing it out. 

Once the lights were back on, people began to disperse for work, taking trays of cupcakes with them. 

“Yuna and the kids made enough that there should be leftovers,” Yuffie said. “But we figured this way we could guarantee we had the flavors you like and not be stuck eating cupcakes until the end of time.” 

“But I like cupcakes,” Seifer protested, followed by a chorus of “Me too! Me too!”s from Rai and Fuu, and even a little “Ah,” from Vivi to indicate his agreement. 

“You’d get sick,” Auron told them. “Now upstairs. Work is starting and I know you haven’t finished your homework.” 

The four kids, Yuffie, and Zack all turned pale and raced for the stairs. Aqua accepted the package Rikku was still holding out to her, and took it and the cupcake up the stairs. On the way, Auron stopped her and told her that although it was Rikku’s idea to make the clothes and Yuna’s idea to make the cupcakes, everyone had pitched in at least a bit for one of the other. 

Once back in her room, Aqua opened the package. First she pulled out a pair of hakama that she hoped were for Terra, and then a small double layered shirt that’s outer layer was half black and half white, with the under layer being striped gray that stuck out below a little. From the size, it had to be for Ven. She also found a sleeveless turtleneck that was undoubtedly for her, as well as a sort of skirt/ drape garment that had a diagram of how to wear it included. Also for Ven was a pair of loose pants in a few shades of gray, a dark shirt for Terra, and some shorts and long socks for her. Putting aside the clothes for Terra and Ven, she tried her outfit on. It fit perfectly. 

Awkwardly, Aqua edged down the hall to the bathroom to look in the mirror. It wasn’t her usual type of thing, but she liked the way it looked. On the way back to her room, on a whim, she turned a cartwheel in the hall. It allowed for freedom of movement too. With a small smile, Aqua thought she might have a new outfit for baton twirling. 

* * *

For the next few weeks, things continued in the same way. There would be all the various irritations- student council, classes, her oblivious friends, living in confinement because to go anywhere else would be dangerous, regularly seeing one of her uncles or aunts drop everything and charge off following a phone call, seeing telltale signs of injuries, seeing that they were all obviously armed. But then there would be the little things that made it bearable- her self-defense lessons on the weekends, Yuna inviting her to join in on arts and crafts with the kids and teaching her how to make star-shaped charms so she made one each for her and her brothers, Sora and Vanitas holding a concert on kazoos for her and Terra one evening, Vexen accepting her request to help out with some of the more minor injuries because he needed the help and she wanted to learn, books provided by Zexion, cookies provided by Lexaeus, the occasional pat on the back or head from other uncles and aunts, Terra catching her eye in class. Sometimes she was certain that things would never get back to normal, that Ven was gone for good, that tomorrow would be the day one of her uncles or aunts didn’t return, and that the others would soon follow, that her dad was never coming home, that she should just give up. But other times she was certain that if she just thought a little harder she would find the solution, that everything would be okay, that soon this time would be no worse than a bad dream. 

Time kept marching on in this manner, up until the day that Terra arrived at school in a different fashion than normal. Instead of being dropped off, he drove himself, pulling up to the curb in front of her. 

Aqua’s thoughts were absolute chaos. What was Terra thinking? Had Gaston- _damn that Gaston_ \- put him up to this? Was he trying to get arrested? He’d been so much better behaved recently, so how could he do this? What was going on? Had Terra somehow gotten a license while staying with his guardian? But how was that legal, and wasn’t dad supposed to come home and take them? 

And then Terra said it out loud and Aqua wondered how she didn’t see it from the moment he arrived. It made so much sense she couldn’t convince herself she hadn’t already known and just wanted him to say it aloud. She got into the car next to him and buckled up. As they pulled out, she felt irrationally giddy and had to suppress a grin. 

The journey to Uncle Xehanort’s house took all that giddiness away. They almost got lost, Terra’s driving was a lot worse than usual and Aqua feared they would crash, and it was long enough that she had plenty of time to think about what they were doing; how it was totally illegal and if their aunts and uncles in the Yakuza 13 were afraid to try this then why on earth would the two of them be able to pull it off? 

Aqua was extremely disappointed to discover that Terra didn’t really have a plan. She was distressed that the best plan they could come up with was an exchange. Yes, they could save Ven, but one of them would still be stuck there, and she and Terra both thought they ought to be the one to do so. Aqua felt she needed to atone for being so judgmental, but then Terra admitted to having been a jerk recently, and said he needed to make it up to her and Ven. Aqua finally agreed to let Terra be the one to stay behind, but secretly she thought that maybe she could find a way to turn the tables. She didn’t like being so conniving against her twin, but she couldn’t let her brothers get hurt. It just wasn’t fair. 

Going into the house was an eerie experience. Inside it looked so… normal. She’d expected weapons everywhere. She’d expected blood. She’d expected bulletin boards covered with pins that held up photos and notes and were connected by strings. She’d expected signs of nefariousness, and yet it looked like a house where people lived, not stole people’s baby brothers and… did whatever Uncle Xehanort was doing to Ven. 

And then all hell broke loose. 

Terra and Aqua both hit the floor at the same time, covering their ears. Around them, the house shook. The noise seemed to be everywhere, it was so loud, and Aqua knew it meant danger. She followed Terra as he crawled over to the dining room and underneath the table. The two of them stared at each other, making frantic gestures with their heads since they didn’t think they would be able to hear each other over all the other sounds in the air. There was only one thing that was certain at that point: Ven was somewhere out in that mess. 

It took a minute before either of them noticed that whatever was happening, it didn’t seem to be directed at them, meaning if they were careful, they could still move around. 

There was a brief respite from the noise, and in that moment Aqua and Terra locked eyes and made a silent decision to head out and get Ven. 

They were just preparing to move forward when a pair of legs appeared, swathed in black cloth. Aqua bit back a squeak of fear, and Terra almost fell over, but then the figure bent over and they found themselves face to face with Xemnas. Aqua felt a blush of rage creeping up her neck, and she could see Terra clenching his fists and dropping his weight, preparing for a lunge attack at this creep of a cousin who had betrayed them yet again. Xemnas looked shocked to see them, but also… relieved? 

And then Aqua registered that Xemnas was cradling something to his chest. Not something. Ven. Aqua cried out, reaching for her baby brother, at the same time Terra did. Xemnas glanced over his shoulder, and then handed Ven over. 

“Go. We’ll cover you,” he said, and even though there was still so much noise, Aqua heard it. Terra clambered out from under the table, and squatted with his back to Aqua and Ven, using his head to indicate that he wanted Aqua to help Ven onto his back so he could carry him. 

On the way in, the hallway hadn’t seemed that long. But now that they needed to get out, it seemed to stretch for miles ahead of them. Xemnas was in the doorway in front of them, a pair of swords in his hands. He made the slightest of signals, and then he was no longer in the doorway, and Terra was charging after him and Aqua’s legs were moving as well, keeping pace next to her brothers. She caught glimpses of other people on the way out- her aunts and uncles in their black cloaks, all armed to the teeth, and strangers who struggled against them. Through it all, Ven kept his face pressed into Terra’s back. 

They reached the door suddenly, and then they were out in the open, and scrambling into the car. Terra had the key in the ignition and the engine on before Aqua was even seated, and she barely had time to close her door before Terra peeled out, pulling a crazy U-turn that sent Aqua and Ven sliding into the door. 

It wasn’t until they were on the highway that Terra began to drive legally again. For once, Aqua didn’t feel the need to lecture him about it. Ven was squished between them, and they both kept reaching over to touch him and make sure he was real. Ven didn’t react at all though, which was worrisome. 

They were probably about halfway home when Terra finally spoke up. 

“Was that- I mean, were _all_ of them there, you think?” 

“I think so,” Aqua replied. “I can’t believe it. The last I’d heard they couldn’t do anything.” 

“Well I’m glad they did,” Terra said. 

The rest of the drive was silent. Aqua was sure that they would go to the twins’ house now, because where else would they go? Except no one would be home so how would they get in? But Terra turned down a different street that was even more familiar. No one said anything as they rolled to a stop at the curb outside their house. Dad had yet to return, but they were home.


	23. The Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Implied mental/physical child abuse. If that's a problem for you, you won't miss a ton if you decide to skip this chapter.  
> Lines in italics will be used to represent speech that is spoken in a foreign language.  
> Reminder: The series will continue on Wednesday in part 3. If you like the series then see you there.

**Ventus**

Ven liked being home, he liked having Aqua and Terra around, even if Dad wasn’t back from Japan yet. Ven didn’t like having nightmares, he didn’t like the paranoid feeling that somebody was watching, waiting to pounce on him, and most of all, he didn’t like the worried looks Terra and Aqua would give each other over his head when he supposedly wasn’t looking. Ven hated that he was the reason they were worried. He was fine. He would be fine. He had to be, or else… 

The morning after Ventus was no longer with Xehanort he awoke to Terra and Aqua sleeping on either side of him, tightly pressed against him. They were sleeping on Dad’s bed as no other bed was big enough to hold all three of them and his siblings had refused to leave his side. For the first few moments after he woke up, Ven was warm and happy, feeling loved. Maybe things could go back to the way they were 

But then that feeling shifted. He felt constrained, constricted, his siblings bodies pressed in too close, too warm, he couldn’t breathe. Panicked, Ventus spastically moved his limbs, trying to get away, not caring what he hit. Once he had enough room to move Ven jumped out of the bed and ran, barely registering Terra and Aqua’s concerned calls. He ran all the way to the laundry room, locking the door behind him and squeezing in the space between the washer and the dryer. It wasn’t as secure as the nook that was hidden in the wall next to Xehanort’s washer, but it would do. 

Ven curled in tightly on himself, taking deep breaths, ignoring the searching calls for him. Once he had calmed down some, Ven began to cry. Not loudly, he had learned quickly how bad an idea that was, but tears streamed down his cheeks. Ven didn’t know if he could ever be whole again. 

* * *

**Eraqus**

When Eraqus’s coworker dropped him off at his house from the airport he was surprised and concerned to see lights on, illuminating out into the dark. There wasn’t supposed to be anyone staying there while he was gone, but he supposed one of his nephew’s people could have been checking on Ventus’s various pets at this time of night. So while he approached the house with caution, he wasn’t too apprehensive. He had tried to not let paranoia take over his life after what happened to Hope. 

Pushing open the door allowed music to reach Eraqus’s ears. He couldn’t make out the words, but it had the slight staticky quality of the old radio they had in the kitchen. Leaving his bag in the entryway, Eraqus approached the kitchen quietly, letting the music hide the sound of his passage. Eraqus peeked around the wall that blocked him from view, and was shocked to see his children there, cooking dinner. 

Entering the kitchen fully, Eraqus couldn’t help but ask, “Aqua? Terra? Ven? Why are you here?” 

There three of them turned to face him in shock, and Eraqus couldn’t help but furrow his brows at how they seemed to freeze at the sight of him. It wasn’t guilt that was on their faces, it was more like… relief? Why were his children so relieved to see him? 

Aqua was the first to move, sliding down from where she sat on the counter and rushing towards him, followed by Terra who quickly shut off the stove before also darting towards him. They both tackled Eraqus with enough force that he stumbled backwards before catching himself, the two of them wrapping their arms so tightly around him that he barely managed to bring his arms up enough to return the hug. 

“Dad.” Terra said in a broken voice and Eraqus heart cracked a little bit. 

Against his neck Eraqus felt a wetness from Aqua’s tears and his heart cracked a little bit more. 

Finally, Ventus got up from where he was sitting on the floor and made his way slowly and ponderously towards Eraqus and wrapped his arms around his waist then let out a heavy sigh. A sigh of an old man that has seen too much and Eraqus’s heart broke. 

* * *

The day after Eraqus came back from Japan and heard what happened to his children while he was away, at least what he could infer from Terra and Aqua’s stories along with what Ven was willing to tell him, he made his way to Yakuza 13 headquarters, furious. Eraqus parked his car in the basement garage and steadily made his way to where he knew his nephew and his cretins would be having their regular meeting. He encountered various members on his way there; a few tried to stop him but one look at his face and they quickly went the other way. At another point of time Eraqus may have found some satisfaction in being able to chase off trained thugs with just a look, but right now he was just too angry and betrayed to even notice. 

Once he reached the meeting room Eraqus slammed the doors open, the booming noise they made underscored his tight and controlled, “Xemnas.” 

At the sound of the doors banging the various leaders jumped up, weapons drawn, but when they saw it was Eraqus they settled back down. Eraqus paid them no mind, striding with single minded focus toward Xemnas until he was towering over his nephew, arms crossed. His voice sounded eerily calm, even to him, as he spoke. “I have a funny story to tell you, nephew. Last night I came home to find my children already there. And they told me quite the interesting tale. They told me that Ventus had been staying at Xehanort’s most of the time I’ve been gone.” Eraqus placed a palm flat against the table to brace himself as he leaned down so he was eye to eye with Xemnas, practically in his face. “Now could you tell me how that could have happened?” 

This close Eraqus could see a flicker of something in Xemnas’ eyes before his expression returned to its unreadable default, “A miscalculation on our part, but it was resolved. Ventus was returned.” 

Eraqus slammed his palm against the table, _“It never should’ve happened in the first place! I trusted you Xemnas!”_ He yelled in Japanese. _“And you betrayed that trust!”_

Xemnas’ jaw clenched and he turned his face away from Eraqus and towards his leaders, who were staring at them with wide eyes, “You are all dismissed, go back to your regular duties.” He said calmly. 

There was quiet and awkward shuffling as the twelve leaders got up and left, Xemnas watching them go as Eraqus continued glaring at Xemnas. Both men waited for everyone to leave before continuing their conversation. Once the door had closed, Xemnas stood, Eraqus following the motion so they were looking at each other eye to eye. 

_“How could you let Ven stay with Xehanort?”_ Eraqus accused, his voice was quieter, but no less angry. 

_“I did what I could, we got him back in the end. Isn’t that the part that matters?”_

_“He never should have been there to begin with! And you certainly shouldn’t have left him to rot there for over a month!”_ Eraqus claimed, crowding in closer to Xemnas, looming over him as best he could. _“Ventus could have died and you would have done nothing!”_

Xemnas didn’t react to this invasion of space, responding to Eraqus with a hint of steel in his voice. _“If we had tried any earlier there would have been too high a chance there would be casualties, would you prefer Vanitas and Sora lose a parent just so Ventus could suffer a little less? I knew Xehanort wouldn’t risk Ventus dying until you could see what he had wrought. I have a feeling he set this up exactly for that reason.”_

Eraqus went quiet at this. As he processed those words, Xemnas turned away and walked to a wall. He slid one of the wood panels aside, pulling out a bottle of sake and two cups, something he kept on hand for after an unusually bad meeting. None of his underlings had seemed to realize it was there yet, thankfully. He brought the items back over to the table and spoke as he poured. _“I admit when I first found out what happened to Ventus I was…. hesitant, to do anything about it. But Xigbar and the others were swift to remind me where my duty lay. And I swear to you that after that I did all I could to bring Ventus back swiftly and safely.”_ Xemnas then offered a sake cup to Eraqus, a peace offering. 

Hesitantly, Eraqus took the cup, then balancing it in one hand he took a sip, then let out a sigh. “You’re not lying about that? You did the best you could?” 

Xemnas nodded, “I did.” He took a drink from his own sake cup and then caught Eraqus’s eye. And Eraqus couldn’t say why, but in that moment Xemnas looked vulnerable, making Eraqus flashback to when they were kids, Xemnas tear-faced and holding a toy of Eraqus’ that he had accidentally broken. That memory was quickly broken when Xemnas looked away, gazing over his uncle’s shoulder as he spoke sincerely. “I’m sorry. If I could, I would turn back time and prevent this whole mess from happening.” 

Eraqus set down his sake cup, barely holding back a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry for losing my temper with you. But I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.” Xemnas gave Eraqus a slightly quizzical look and Eraqus explained. “You should make it up to Ven, he’s the one that suffered through all this and we’re the ones that have to help him pick up the pieces.” 

Xemnas nodded in agreement. The two of them then stood like that for a few moments, absorbing one of the few times that they fully saw eye to eye before Eraqus spoke. 

“I should go. I told the kids that I needed to run a few errands, and I’d rather not leave them alone right now.” He then turned and headed for the exit, as he reached the door he heard Xemnas call out softly, a whisper of a page being turned. 

“Odaiji ni, nii-san.”* 

Eraqus hesitated, his fingers wrapped around the door handle. After a moment he responded just as softly, not even turning to look, “Odaiji ni.” then quickly opened the door and left. 

* * *

**Aqua**

It was like something important had been irreparably broken, and Aqua didn’t even know what the broken thing was. It didn’t make sense that something was wrong, not now when everything was finally getting better. Ven was safe. Dad was home. She and Terra were actually getting along pretty well these days. Everything was going well, so why did it feel just as bad as when everything had gone wrong, and maybe even a bit worse? 

Maybe it was how skittish Ven was. Little things would set him off, so that he’d suddenly become angry, or start crying, or run to hide. She just couldn’t understand it. Or maybe it was how even though dad was back, people still seemed to think she and her brothers weren’t safe. When Paine and Auron had stopped by to drop off the things she’d left at Fantasy, they’d offered to let her and her brothers stay at the club rather than at their home. When she’d insisted that they needed to be home, that Ven needed to be home and she and Terra needed to see him at home, they’d reluctantly acquiesced, but had insisted on driving by periodically to check that nothing had gone wrong. Even now that their Dad was back, she’d still catch glimpses of Tifa and Zack peering at her house from the back windows of a car that was driving by. 

Or maybe it was how there was a sudden radio silence from all her uncles and aunts with the Yakuza 13. Even uncle Roxas and aunt Xion had stopped dropping by, and the one time she’d seen the twins since everything had happened, they’d been picked up by dad and brought over. She hadn’t seen a single one of the twins’ parents, and she hadn’t heard anything either. It hurt, since they’d disappeared just when she was learning to accept them, and it almost seemed like an admission of guilt despite the fact that she knew that they weren’t really at fault. They hadn’t known what had happened to Ven until too late, and even then, they’d still done their best to help him. After all, they’d been there that day she and Terra had gotten him out. They had protected her little family, so why vanish now? 

Maybe a return to normalcy would help. Dad was already talking about sending them back to school, and Aqua knew he was right and they had to go, but she hated the idea of it. She didn’t want to have to explain things to her friends, she didn’t want to have to hear the sympathy from teachers who were under the impression that Ventus’s absence was due to an emergency heart surgery and that she and Terra had been gone to be with their brother during his recovery. She tried to tell herself it would be like being a superhero with a secret identity that she hid while she went about her day to day life, but she didn’t manage to convince herself. In the end, it just felt like lies. 

She supposed she’d just have to make herself believe the lies then. 

* * *

**Terra**

Several days after finally having their father back, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus went back to school. Between retrieving Ven and their father coming home they all had been skipping classes, neither Terra nor Aqua willing to separate from Ven. And really, Terra still wasn’t ready and he knew Aqua wasn’t either. Ven still wasn’t quite himself and what if he needed them? What if Xehanort tried to take him again? But their Dad had insisted after the therapist he had gotten for Ven suggested a return to normal routine. Dad also claimed that the Yakuza 13 wouldn’t dare let anything happen to them again. 

So the three of them found themselves on the schoolbus on a foggy Wednesday morning. They sat in their usual seats but rather then staring out the window like he usual did, Terra found himself anxiously watching Ven. The kids that sat around him had fired out questions on where he had been, but he just answered them with a pained smile and a shrug. Normally Ven would be so animated talking to others, but now he just curled up into himself, like he was afraid of human touch. It made Terra’s heart hurt to see it and he couldn’t help but think that if he had been a better brother, maybe this wouldn’t have happened at all. 

When Terra stepped off the bus at school, he immediately went to Ven, waving Aqua away, who was trying to move through a group of friends that had bombarded her. Ven was standing on the sidewalk, shoulders hunched and once Terra was beside him, Ven looked up, then relaxed fractionally as Terra smiled reassuringly down at him. 

“You ready?” Terra asked. Ven hesitated, prompting Terra to ask gently. “Want me to go with you to the classroom?” 

Ven was silent for several moments more, slowly clenching and unclenching his fists before whispering, “Yeah.” 

The two of them had barely gone a few steps when a loud brazen voice shouted out Terra’s name, the sound of footsteps approaching. 

Terra’s shoulders tensed as he turned to face Gaston and his so called ‘friends.’ He'd had a lot of time to think about what was important to him and why while he was watching Ven, and had come to the conclusion that he really didn’t like Gaston and his cronies. “What is it?” Terra asked tersely. 

Gaston was frowning, arms crossed over his puffed out chest. “How come you’ve been gone so long? You running away on us?” 

“I was busy.” Terra responded with as clipped a voice as possible. Instinctively, he stepped slightly in front of Ven. 

Gaston noticed the motion and snorted. “Hanging out with your kid brother? He’s just gonna drag you down Terra.” 

Terra wasn’t entirely sure what made him do it, but something inside him snapped and the next thing he knew Gaston was sprawled on the sidewalk with a bloody nose while Terra’s knuckles throbbed in pain. Gaston was writhing where he lay, making a pathetic whining sound, but Terra didn’t let that phase him. It had taken him a while to realize it, but Aqua was right, Gaston and his friends were terrible people. 

“Don’t you dare say anything about my brother again.” Terra said lowly. “Or next time you won’t get off so easily.” 

Le Fou, who had quickly scrambled to Gaston’s side and was pressing a hanky against the larger man’s nose, looked up and said defensively, “Hey! You can’t talk to Gaston like that!” 

“I can, and I will.” Terra stated darkly. “And if you know what’s good for you you’ll leave me and my siblings alone.” He then turned back to Ven and spoke normally. “C’mon Ven, let’s go.” 

With a small smile, Ven followed after Terra, sticking close to his side. After a few steps they were joined by Aqua, who lightly punched Terra in the shoulder and hissed, “What do you think you were doing?! You’re going to get in trouble for punching Gaston!” 

Terra looked at Aqua with a raised eyebrow. “Are you telling me that you wouldn’t have punched Gaston in the face? I’m pretty sure you could’ve laid him out with what they taught you at Fantasy.” 

Aqua’s face blushed bright. “Just because I want to punch him, doesn’t mean I would’ve.” 

Terra snorted and looked down at Ven. “What do you think Ven? Would Aqua have punched Gaston if I hadn’t?” 

“If she didn’t, then I would have.” Ven said sagely, nodding in a comically serious manner. 

Terra grinned and tousled Ven’s hair. “Good to know.” 

And as the three of them walked Ven to class, Terra felt like things would be alright for the first time in a long while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Take care, nii-san.


End file.
